Kilos perdus, où va le gras?

Stéphane Roy

M.Sc., nutritionniste

Lorsque l'on maigrit, où va tout notre gras? Ceux qui ont plusieurs kilos à perdre se demandent sûrement par où la graisse sort!

Le processus d'amaigrissement est relativement facile à comprendre. La graisse dont on veut se débarrasser constitue une réserve de combustible pour le corps, qui y puise au besoin. Mais le combustible préféré du corps, ce n'est pas la graisse: ce sont les sucres (les glucides) qui se transforment plus facilement en énergie.

Le processus qui transforme la graisse en énergie est beaucoup plus long et le corps n'est pas toujours patient. Autrement, un individu gros n'aurait jamais faim, car son corps n'aurait qu'à puiser son carburant dans sa réserve de graisse pour se sustenter; en fait, c'est seulement quand il ne trouve plus de sucre à consumer que le corps va «taper dans le gras».

Le principe consiste donc à entraîner un déficit calorique, c'est-à-dire à ingérer moins d'énergie (calories) et à en dépenser plus. Quand les calories qu'on retrouve dans les aliments ne suffisent plus à satisfaire ses besoins, le corps puise dans ses réserves de glucides, de protéines et de gras pour les transformer en glucose, forme sous laquelle il utilise l'énergie. Le glucose, comme son nom l'indique, se trouve dans les glucides, alors qu'il est absent des protéines et des lipides.

Le corps va d'abord chercher son énergie là où c'est le plus facile, c'est-à-dire dans les glucides ou dans les réserves de glucides, stockés dans le foie sous forme de glycogène. Une fois ces réserves épuisées, il se tourne alors vers les protéines des muscles et vers les lipides contenus dans le gras corporel. Par des mécanismes biochimiques assez complexes (dont je vous épargne les détails), le corps parvient à transformer les protéines et les lipides en glucose, qui deviennent sources d'énergie. L'énergie, elle, se transforme en mouvement. Quand l'ancien gros individu se demande où est passée sa bedaine, il n'a qu'à regarder la pinède de 5000 hectares qu'il a plantée dans sa cour, ou bien ses photos du tour de la Gaspésie à vélo.

Quand on conseille de faire de l'exercice, c'est, entre autres, pour maintenir une masse musculaire adéquate. Cette masse musculaire est non seulement nécessaire à notre bien-être, mais elle favorise également une augmentation de la dépense énergétique menant à une meilleure utilisation du gras comme source d'énergie.

Quant à la transpiration, il s'agit simplement d'une perte d'eau, qui n'occasionne pas  de «fonte de gras». Le gras ne se transforme pas en eau, pas plus qu'il ne sort par les pores de la peau. Par ailleurs, si vous perdez rapidement du poids, il s'agit fort probablement d'une perte d'eau. Lorsque notre corps s'attaque au gras, la perte de poids se fait beaucoup plus lentement, mais témoigne d'un réel amaigrissement (contrairement à la perte d'eau). Il faut donc faire preuve de patience et de persévérance.

Source

Dr Dominique Garrel, Question de maigrir, ce qu'il faut savoir pour contrôler son poids, Les Éditions Ph.D., 2000, ISBN 2-9804989-3-9.

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7 Muscle-Building Mistakes to Avoid

By: Myatt Murphy

You've put in the time. The sweat. Maybe the tears when you don't see results. Quit blubbering. It'll be fine.

Entering the weight room is the first step toward building muscle, but it's not the last. What you do before, during, and after a workout can either negate your hard work or elevate your growth to a new level.

"Your personal habits, your social life, even which exercises you choose to do can take away from what you're trying to build," says Jeff Bell, C.S.C.S., an exercise physiologist and the owner of Spectrum Wellness in New York City. Bell and other experts helped us pinpoint seven factors that sabotage results. "Add them up and they could be why your muscles have nothing to show for all your time served," Bell says.

Eliminate these seven saboteurs, then watch your muscles grow—with nothing holding them back.

Skipping Basics
Plenty of lifters believe that doing isolation exercises like chest flies and leg extensions is the only way to make their muscles grow. But basic moves such as bench presses and squats force several muscle groups to work together, imposing more stress on your body for bigger gains.

"Your body reacts to all that stress by having the anterior pituitary gland issue more growth hormone to compensate for the extra effort," says Allen Hedrick, C.S.C.S., head strength-and-conditioning coach at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Of course you need variation, but don't abandon basic moves in favor of intermediate isolation exercises.

Fix it: Write down the exercises in your routine to see what percentage of them are compound moves. "If it's not in the range of at least 40 to 50 percent, then you're doing too many isolation exercises," says Bell.

Lunchtime Hoops
Playing sports too often can sidetrack your muscle-growth goals. Muscles typically need 48 hours of rest to adapt to the stresses placed on them during exercise. "Engaging in extra activity also makes your body more likely to use any excess calories it has for fuel, and not for rebuilding itself," says Bell.

Fix it: "Pull your cardiovascular activity back to the bare minimum—20 minutes, three times a week—to see what effect it has on your body," Bell says. If cardio is indeed stealing your muscle, you should begin to notice strength improvements—being able to lift more weight or complete more repetitions—within 2 to 3 weeks. If your primary goal is to increase muscle size and strength, and not necessarily to build your overall health, try pulling back further. Can't miss a game? During your workout, ease up on the muscles you use most in your extra activity so they have more time to recover.

Smoking and Drinking
You know smoking is stupid. You know you're gambling with cancer, stroke, and other health issues. But did you know you're also sabotaging your strength training?

"Smoking places carbon monoxide in your system, which prevents your muscles from getting as much oxygen to use for energy," says Scott Swartzwelder, Ph.D., a clinical professor of medical psychology at Duke University. "The less oxygen your muscles have to draw from, the less efficient they are at contracting, which can limit their capacity for work."

As for alcohol, it can cover your abs with a layer of lard and interfere with hormones that help build them. "Drinking alcohol on a regular basis can also keep your testosterone levels lower than usual and decrease muscle mass," says Swartzwelder.

Fix it: Quit smoking, and don't worry about becoming a cold-turkey butterball. "Getting in at least 30 minutes of exercise three or four times a week not only helps control body weight, but can also produce positive psychological effects that might diminish the need to smoke," says Swartzwelder. Drinking moderately (two drinks or less per day) won't harm testosterone levels and can actually improve your cardiovascular health, he says.

Starvation
You need to eat after your workout. Right after a session, your body is hustling to convert glucose into glycogen so your muscles can repair themselves and grow. "If you don't eat after exercise, your body breaks down muscle into amino acids to convert into glucose," says John Ivy, Ph.D., chairman of kinesiology at the University of Texas.

Fix it: After you work out, eat a high-carbohydrate meal—and don't forget the protein. A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that a four-to-one carbohydrate-to-protein ratio can provide 128 percent greater muscle-glycogen storage than a high-carbohydrate drink alone. (They used Endurox R Recovery Drink in the study.) For even greater results, have a sports drink before and during exercise.

Craig Ferguson
If you don't get enough deep sleep, your muscles can't recover. Moreover, says Catherine Jackson, Ph.D., chairwoman of the department of kinesiology at California State University at Fresno, when you work out on insufficient sleep, you exercise at a lower intensity than you realize—but you feel as if it's high. So your muscles are less likely to receive enough stress to grow.

Fix it: Go to bed and wake up at set times every day, even on weekends, to keep your sleep cycles regular. Avoid caffeine—and perhaps exercise—for 4 to 6 hours before bedtime. Elevating your heart rate before bed can interfere with sleep, Jackson says.

Sugar
Sugary drinks like soda can fool your body with a blood-sugar spike, making you prone  to skip "other, nutrient-dense foods you could be eating," says Bell. If your sugar habit limits your intake of muscle-building amino acids, it will sap the fuel you need for your workouts, says New York City-based celebrity trainer Steve Lischin, M.S., C.P.T.

Fix it: Water and low-sugar sports drinks are your best bets. But sugar hides elsewhere. "Watch out for dried fruits, certain nutrition bars, and even ketchup," Lischin says.

Thirst
For the active man, eating about a gram of protein for every 2.2 pounds of body weight helps build muscle—if the protein is processed correctly. "A high-protein meal has a slight diuretic effect," says Lischin. When the body uses protein for energy, it has to remove the nitrogen component of the molecule to turn it into glucose. "This requires plenty of water," he says.

Fix it: Drink eight to 10 glasses of water a day and divide your protein among five or six small meals throughout the day. "Eating an average of 25 to 30 grams each meal is ideal," says Lischin. "Not only will you put less stress on your kidneys, but you'll also utilize more of the protein you're ingesting by giving your body only as much as it can use each time."




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15 New Superfoods

By: Stephen Perrine with Heather Hurlock

Your ultimate weight-loss tool doesn’t require assembly like some Ab-O-Matic, it doesn’t cost an entire paycheck, and it doesn’t even require you to break a sweat. It’s in your refrigerator, and it’s called food. The problem is that our “old American diet” has too many calories and not enough real food. So the answer isn’t eating less food—it’s eating more of the right foods. There are 15 of them in particular, and they couldn’t be easier to remember because the first letter of each food spells out NEW AMERICAN DIET.

As detailed in the latest Men’s Health’s book, The New American Diet, these foods are the cure for our old American diet. In fact, in an initial test run, those who tried the New American Diet lost an average of 15 pounds in just 6 weeks. The secret? High-nutrition foods that fill your body with quality fuel and protect you from obesity-causing chemicals (called “obesogens”) found in many conventional food products. Discover how easy it is to flatten your belly for good with The New American Diet’s superfoods. Eat up—and slim down!
1. Nuts  Nuts are New American Diet smart bombs. They’re packed with monounsaturated fatty acids, those good-for-you fats that lower your risk of heart disease and diabetes and, according to new research, help you control your appetite.

Researchers from Georgia Southern University found that eating a high-protein, high-fat snack, such as almonds, increases your calorie burn for up to 3 and a half hours. And just one ounce of almonds boosts vitamin-E levels, increasing memory and cognitive performance, according to researchers at New York Presbyterian Hospital. In another study, people who ate pistachios for 3 months lost 10 to 12 pounds on average.

2. Eggs In a new study in the International Journal of Obesity, overweight participants ate a 340-calorie breakfast of either two eggs or a single bagel 5 days a week for 8 weeks. Those who ate eggs (including the yolk, which contains nearly half the protein and all the nutrient choline) reported higher energy levels and lost 65 percent more weight than bagel-eaters—and with no effect on their cholesterol or triglyceride levels!

Plus, a recent review of more than 25 published studies on protein that concluded that egg protein helps boost muscle strength and development more than other proteins do because of its high concentrations of the amino acid leucine. And egg protein is also better at keeping you from getting hungry over a sustained period.

3. Whole Grains  It's not a magic disappearing act, but it's close: When Harvard University researchers analyzed the diets of more than 27,000 people over 8 years, they discovered that those ate whole grains daily weighed 2.5 pounds less than those who ate only refined-grain foods.

Another study from Penn State University found that whole-grain eaters lost 2.4 times more belly fat than those who ate refined grains. Whole grains more favorably affect blood-glucose levels, which means they don’t cause wild swings in blood sugar and ratchet up cravings after you eat them. Plus, the antioxidants in whole grains help control inflammation and insulin (a hormone that tells your body to store belly fat).

4. Avocado and Other Healthy Fats Just because a food has plenty of fat and calories in it doesn’t mean it’s “fattening.” See, certain foods cause you to gain weight because they provoke hormonal changes that trigger cravings, or “rebound hunger.” One hunger-control hormone, leptin, becomes blunted by starchy, sweet, fatty, and refined-carbohydrate foods. That's why a bagel is fattening: It's a high-caloric load of refined carbohydrates that double-crosses your natural satisfaction response.

Avocados on the other hand aren't fattening, because they’re loaded with healthy fat and fiber and don't cause wild swings in insulin levels. So enjoy the fat in avocados, olive oil, and nuts. Research shows that diets containing upward of 50 percent fat are just as effective for weight loss as those that are low in fat.

5. Meat (Pasture-Raised and Free-Range)Grass-fed beef, chicken, and pork is leaner and healthier than conventional livestock—and will help trim away pounds. A 3.5-ounce serving of grass-fed beef has only 2.4 grams of fat, compared with 16.3 grams for conventionally raised beef. In fact, grass-fed beef is so much more nutritious than commodity beef that it's almost a different food.

Grass-fed beef contains more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which has been shown to reduce abdominal fat while building lean muscle. It also has more omega-3s and less omega-6s than corn-fed beef. It’s the same with chickens. According to a recent study in the journal Poultry Science, free-range chickens have significantly more omega-3s than grain-fed chickens, less harmful fat, and fewer calories than grain-fed varieties. This is important because omega-3s improve your mood, boost your metabolism, sharpen your brain, and help you lose weight.

6. Environmentally Sustainable Fish Choosing seafood these days isn't easy. Some species (swordfish, farmed salmon) contain obesity-promoting pollutants (dioxins, PCBs). Others are fattened with soy, which lowers their levels of healthy omega-3s. In fact, the American Heart Association recently urged people who are concerned about heart disease to avoid eating tilapia for just that reason. Wow. That goes against conventional wisdom, doesn’t it?

So what kind of fish should you eat, and how can the New American Diet help? Generally, small, oily ocean fish (herring, mackerel, sardines) are low in toxins and score highest in omega-3s. Wild Alaskan salmon, Pacific Halibut, Rainbow Trout, and Yellowfin tuna are generally low in toxins and high in nutrients. And then there are fish that we should avoid at all times: farmed (or “Atlantic”) salmon, farmed tilapia, Atlantic cod, Chilean Sea Bass, and farmed shrimp.

7. Raspberries and Other Berries A recent study by researchers at Yale University School of Medicine discovered that after eating a high-carb, high-sugar meal, free radicals (rogue molecules produced when your body breaks down food) attack the neurons that tell us when we’re full. The result: It’s hard to judge when hunger is satisfied. Escape the cycle of overindulgence by eating foods that are rich in antioxidants. And berries top the charts.

The berries that give you the most antioxidant bang per bite, in order: cranberries, black currents, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, pomegranates.

8. Instant OatsFiber  is the secret to losing weight without hunger. One U.S. Department of Agriculture study found that those who increased their daily fiber intake from 12 grams to 24 absorbed 90 fewer calories per day than those who ate the same amount of food but less fiber. Do nothing to your diet other than add more of the rough stuff, and you will lose nine pounds in a year, effortlessly.

Instant oats are one of the easiest ways to get more real fiber into your diet. Plus, new research indicates that oats can also cut your risk of high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, and even reduce your risk of weight gain. Oats also have 10 grams of protein per 1/2-cup serving, so they deliver steady muscle-building energy. Choose oatmeal that contains whole oats and low sodium, like Uncle Sam Instant Oatmeal, which also has whole-grain wheat flakes and flaxseed.

9. Cruciferous Vegetables and Other Leafy GreensCruciferous vegetables —like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage, Swiss chard, and bok choy—are all rich in folate, and the more folate you have in your diet, the lower your risk of obesity, heart disease, stroke, cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s, and depression. A recent study in the British Journal of Nutrition found that those with the highest folate levels lose 8.5 times more weight when dieting. Another stunner: New research shows that folate helps protect against damage from estrogenic chemicals like bisphenol-A (BPA), which have been linked to obesity.

These veggies also rich in potassium. Researchers at the Department of Agriculture's Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, at Tufts University, found that foods rich in potassium help preserve lean muscle mass. Click here to learn more about The New American Diet.


10. Apples and Other Fruit  What makes the apple so potent? In part, it’s because most of us eat the peel: It’s a great way to add more fiber and nutrients into your diet. But there’s a downside: The peel is where fruit tends to absorb and retain most of the pesticides they are exposed to, apples and peaches being the worst offenders. That’s why, for maximum weight-loss potential, we strongly recommend you buy organic versions of apples, pears, peaches, and other eat-the-peel fruits.

You’ll experience a terrific payoff if you do: In a UCLA study, normal-weight people reported eating, on average, two servings of fruit and 12 grams (g) of fiber a day; those who were overweight had just one serving and 9 g. Credit that extra 3 g fiber—the amount in one single apple or orange—as the difference maker.

11. Navy Beans and Other Legumes Study after study reveals that bean eaters live longer and weigh less. One study showed that people who eat 3/4 cup of beans daily weigh 6.6 pounds less than those who don't eat beans. Another study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that people who eat one and a half servings of beans a day (3/4 cup) have lower blood pressure and smaller waist sizes than those who skip beans in favor of other proteins. Imagine each bean you eat is a perfect little weight-loss pill. Gobble ‘em up!

12. Dark Chocolate A new study from Denmark found that those who eat dark chocolate consume 15 percent fewer calories at their next meal and are less interested in fatty, salty, and sugary foods. And research shows that dark chocolate can improve heart health, lower blood pressure, reduce LDL ("bad") cholesterol, decrease the risk of blood clots, and increase blood flow to the brain. Dark chocolate boosts serotonin and endorphin levels, which is associated with improved mood and greater concentration; it's rich in B vitamins and magnesium, which are noted cognitive boosters; it contains small amounts of caffeine, which helps with short-term concentration; and it contains theobromine, a stimulant that delivers a different kind of buzz, sans the jitters.

13. Ice Cream and Other Healthy DessertsCalcium-rich desserts  like ice cream bind to fatty acids in the digestive tract, blocking their absorption. In one study, participants who ate 1,735 mg of calcium from low-fat dairy products (about as much as in five 8-ounce glasses of milk) blocked the equivalent of 85 calories a day. Plus, half a cup of vanilla ice cream gives you 19 milligrams of choline, which translates to protection from cancer, heart attack, stroke, and dementia. We’re not suggesting you have a bowlful of ice cream every night. But a scoop (the size of a tennis ball) every few days isn’t the diet-saboteur it’s made out to be.

Caveat: Tricked-out designer ice creams are packed with added sugar and preservatives. Pick a single flavor ice cream—vanilla, chocolate, coffee, whatever.

14. Enzymes and Probiotics (Yogurt)Probiotics and enzymes, those friendly bacteria found in yogurt, may be the key to losing those last stubborn inches around your waist. They not only help the digestive system work properly, but also have a profound effect on the metabolism, according to a new study in Molecular Systems Biology. The bacteria Lactobacillus paracasei and Lactobacillus rhamnosus can change how much fat is available for the body to absorb by influencing stomach acids during digestion.

But not all yogurts are probiotic, so make sure the label says "live and active cultures." Other foods containing probiotics include kefir, acidophilus milk, miso soup, soft cheeses, pickles, and sauerkraut.

15. Tea and Other Healthy Beverages Nearly 25 percent of our calories—about 450 calories a day—come from sodas, sweetened teas, and the like. According to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, if you swap just one of those sodas a day for water or unsweetened tea or coffee, you’ll lose 2.5 pounds each month.

In fact, cutting down on liquid calories has a bigger impact than cutting down on calories from foods, according researchers from Johns Hopkins. Instead of sugary beverages, try green tea, which is high in the plant compound called ECGC, which promotes fat burning. In one study, people who consumed the equivalent of three to five cups a day for 12 weeks decreased their body weight by 4.6 percent.



 Click here to learn more about The New American Diet.
http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/New_American_Diet_Superfoods/index.php?cm_mmc=ABSNL-_-2010_10_25-_-HTML-_-dek
© 2010 Rodale Inc. | MensHealth.com

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8 Ways to Prevent Any Kind of Cancer

By: Steve Mazzucchi
The average mouse doesn't care much about skin cancer. Outside of Disney cartoons, you won't see one slathering on sunscreen before heading out to dodge cats and search for cheese. But Gary Stoner, Ph.D., a professor emeritus of hematology and oncology at the Ohio State University medical center, does care about cancer. That's why he spends his days in a lab, feeding rodents polyphenols from seaweed and learning how to shrink skin cancer-like tumors. He's a mouse's best friend. Maybe yours, too.

Stoner is just one of many researchers working to bring new weapons to the cancer battle. Some study humans to take a fresh look at existing theories. Others, like Stoner, are testing tactics so bold that, so far, their only subjects have tails and whiskers.

But all these approaches (seaweed included) have one very positive thing in common: They're just plain good for you and bad for cancer cells. Here are eight strategies that just may turn the Big C into the Big See-Ya-Later. (Or, better yet, See-Ya-Never.)

Drink Pomegranate Juice
Some say this luscious, lusty red fruit is Eve's original apple, but what the pomegranate truly banishes is cancer risk. The fruit's deep red juice contains polyphenols, isoflavones, and ellagic acid, elements researchers believe make up a potent anticancer combo. It's been shown to delay the growth of prostate cancer in mice, and it stabilizes PSA levels in men who've been treated for prostate cancer.

And now University of Wisconsin at Madison researchers have learned that pomegranate may also inhibit lung-cancer growth. If you currently smoke, have smoked in the past, or hang around in smoky places (Cleveland, for instance), the juice of the fruit could bolster your defenses.

Use it: The mice in the Wisconsin study received the human equivalent of 16 ounces of juice per day, so quaff accordingly.

Eat Blueberries
Got pterostilbene? Rutgers University researchers say this compound—found in blueberries—has colon cancer-fighting properties. When rats with colon cancer were fed a diet supplemented with pterostilbene, they had 57 percent fewer precancerous lesions after 8 weeks than rats not given the compound did.

Eat blueberries and you'll also benefit from a big dose of vitamin C (14 milligrams per cup). In a study of 42,340 men, New England Research Institute scientists discovered that men with the highest dietary vitamin C intake (as opposed to supplements) were 50 percent less likely to develop premalignant oral lesions than men with the lowest intake were.

Use it: "About two servings daily is the human equivalent of what we fed the rats," says Bandaru Reddy, M.D., Ph.D., a chemical-biology professor at Rutgers. Load up at breakfast: A cup and a half of blueberries over cereal, plus 8 ounces of juice and half a grapefruit (for extra vitamin C), will do the trick. If that's too much to stomach at dawn, spread it out over the course of the day.

Relax a Little
Anxiety won't only make you soil your shorts. Purdue University researchers tracked 1,600 men over 12 years and found that half of those with increasing levels of worry died during the study period. Talk about flunking the exam. Only 20 percent of the optimists died before the 12-year study was completed.

More anxiety-producing news: Thirty-four percent of the neurotic men died of some type of cancer. How neurotic are we talking? "Think of the biggest worrier you know—someone who stresses out over everything," says psychologist Daniel Mroczek, Ph.D., who conducted the study. "That man is probably above the 95th percentile in neuroticism. Then think of the most cool, calm, collected man you know. He's probably below the fifth percentile."

Use it: To develop that critical, casual Jeff Spicoli vibe, learn to slow down your fast times: "The more time you spend in the present moment, the more relaxed you'll be, because most mental anguish occurs over stuff that's already happened or that may or may not happen in the future," says Claire Wheeler, M.D., Ph.D., the author of 10 Simple Solutions to Stress. "For the most part, right now is pretty damn good. If you practice being present while shaving, for example, eventually you'll also be more present when eating, making love, and working."

Pop Selenium
Selenium has long been thought of as a cancer fighter, but you can have too much of a good thing, says David J. Waters, Ph.D., D.V.M., director of the Gerald P. Murphy Cancer Foundation, in West Lafayette, Indiana.

A study of almost 1,000 men, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, found that when those with the lowest initial levels of selenium in their bodies received a daily supplement over a 4 1/2- year period, they cut their prostate-cancer risk by an impressive 92 percent. But men who started out with high selenium were rewarded with an 88 percent increase in total cancer risk when they took the supplements. Moral: It pays to get your selenium level right.

Use it: Selenium in the body is measured through toenail clippings. Send yours to the Murphy Foundation, and for less than $100 (price varies by state), they'll ship them to a lab and then inform you of your level 2 weeks later. If yours is out of range, the foundation will explain how to adjust your intake of Brazil nuts, tuna, meats, grains, and selenium supplements. Learn more at seleniumhealthtest.com.

Order Sushi
As mentioned, Gary Stoner is using seaweed to fight the Big C. When he fed the polyphenols from brown seaweed to mice that had been bombarded with UV rays, their incidence of skin tumors dropped 60 percent. And the polyphenols shrank existing tumors by 43 percent. Better still, the doses that produced these effects were the equivalent of only 1 or 2 tablespoons in a human being.

"Seaweed is low in calories and fat, yet it provides heart-helping fiber, bone-building calcium, and iron," says nutrition consultant Molly Morgan, R.D., C.D.N., owner of Creative Nutrition Solutions, in Vestal, New York. "Dried, roasted seaweed sheets used in making sushi also provide vitamins A and C."

Use it: "Eat more sushi rolls," says Stoner. "It's not quite the same seaweed, but it has some of the same compounds." As a bonus, sushi itself is a great muscle food. A typical spicy tuna roll has only 290 calories but packs 24 grams of protein. Also, look for a Korean-made, seaweed-fortified drink called EntroPower (entropower.com), which should be hitting U.S. health-food stores soon.

Spend More Time Outside
Scientists have viewed vitamin D as a potent cancer fighter for decades, but there's never been a gold-standard trial—until now. A Creighton University study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that women who supplemented their diets with 1,000 international units of vitamin D every day had a 60 percent to 77 percent lower incidence of cancer over a 4-year period than did women taking a placebo.

"I don't think the effect is limited to women," says Joan Lappe, Ph.D., the lead study author. "Vitamin D is necessary for the best functioning of the immune system—it causes early death of cancer cells."

Use it: Nature intended us to make vitamin D from the sun, but depending on where you live, the time of year, and how much of an agoraphobe you are, you may not reach the optimal level of 80 nanomoles per liter of blood that way. A blood test can give you a baseline.

From there, Lappe recommends supplementing with 1,100 to 2,000 IU of vitamin D in a stand-alone pill every day. Vitamin D is also in sardines, salmon, shiitake mushrooms, and reindeer meat—which may explain Santa's longevity, despite the odd hours and jelly belly.

Clear Your Air
Secondhand smoke may be even worse for you than we thought. A recent American Journal of Public Health study reveals that nonsmokers working in smoky places had three times the amount of NNK, a carcinogen, in their urine than nonsmoking workers in smoke-free joints had. And their levels of NNK rose 6 percent for every hour worked.

"There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke, and the greater the exposure, the higher the risk," says the study's lead author, Michael Stark, Ph.D., principal investigator for the Multnomah County Health Department, in Portland, Oregon.

Use it: Nine states have banned smoking in all workplaces, bars, and restaurants: Arizona, Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Washington. So change locations, change professions, or change the laws. As you sip your pomegranate juice, sign up with Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights at no-smoke.org.

Invest a Little Sweat Equity
Study after study has pointed to the cancer-beating power of exercise. Now research from Norway has found that even a tiny dose of exercise has big benefits. A study of 29,110 men published last year in the International Journal of Cancer shows that men who exercised just once a week had a 30 percent lower risk of metastatic prostate cancer than did men who didn't work out at all. Increasing the frequency, duration, and intensity of the exercise correlated with a further, gradual reduction in risk.

Use it: Just one bout of weekend warriorism—a company softball game, pickup basketball, racquetball with your crusty uncle—might qualify you for inclusion in the cancer-free 30 percent.


© 2010 Rodale Inc. | MensHealth.com

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Number of diabetic Americans could triple by 2050

By MIKE STOBBE, AP Medical Writer – Fri Oct 22, 6:19 pm ET

ATLANTA – As many as 1 in 3 U.S. adults could have diabetes by 2050, federal officials announced Friday in a dramatic new projection that represents a threefold increase.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 1 in 10 have diabetes now, but the number could grow to 1 in 5 or even 1 in 3 by mid-century if current trends continue.

"This is alarming," said Ann Albright, director of the CDC's Division of Diabetes Translation.

The agency's projections have been a work in progress. The last revision put the number at 39 million in 2050. The new estimate takes it to the range of 76 million to 100 million.

An estimated 24 million Americans have diabetes currently.

The new CDC calculation accounts for people who have diabetes but are undiagnosed — a group that wasn't figured into earlier estimates, explained Edward W. Gregg, chief of the CDC branch that handles diabetes epidemiology and statistics.

Also, the researchers used new population growth estimates for the elderly and minorities, who have higher rates of Type 2 diabetes, he said.

One more factor: Diabetics are living longer, thanks to improvements in medical care, he added.

"Not all of the increase in prevalence is a bad thing," said Dr. Sue Kirkman, the American DiabetesAssociation's senior vice president of medical affairs and community information.

Diabetes is a disease in which the body has trouble processing sugar. It was the nation's seventh leading cause of death in 2007.

In the classic form of diabetes, traditionally diagnosed in children or young adults, the body does not produce enough of a hormone called insulin to help sugar get into cells. That's Type 1 diabetes.

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Another form of diabetes, Type 2, now accounts for about 95 percent of cases. In that kind, the body's cells resist insulin's attempts to transport sugar. Type 2 is most common in people who are overweight and obese, in people 60 and older, and in African-Americans and other minority groups.

The growth in U.S. diabetes cases has been closely tied to escalating obesity rates. Recent CDC data suggests obesity rates may have recently leveled off. But the new estimates should hold up even if obesity rates remain static, CDC officials said.

The CDC is the main source for national disease statistics, and the agency seems to have done a thoughtful job in putting together these latest projections, Kirkman said. Still, she acknowledged being a little startled by the size of the new numbers.

"The magnitude is a bit surprising. But the trend is not" she said.

The new estimates were published online Friday by the journal Population Health Metrics.

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Amazing Men's Finish at 2010 Chicago Marathon

Track and Field Videos on Flotrack

Amazing Men's Finish at 2010 Chicago Marathon

Sammy Wanjiru battles move after move en route to an exciting victory at the 2010 Chicago Marathon. With the win Sammy wins $75,000 for the race victory plus another $500,000 for winning the Marathon Majors Race Series!
October 10, 2010 
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8 Weight-Lifting Fixes for More Muscle

By: Charles Staley
I'm a sports-performance coach. For 20 years, I've been hanging around in gyms, coaching thousands of football, basketball, and track-and-field athletes on how to build muscle and lose weight. I show up before the gym rats and leave after they jump ship. And that means I've seen every mistake that is humanly possible to make. Stupid mistakes. Dangerous mistakes. And maybe worst of all, time-wasting mistakes.

Time is always a crucial factor, whether a guy is trying to survive training-camp cuts or hustling back to the office before the boss puts him in for the next round of layoffs. Save a minute, add more muscle. It's a principle you can build on.

Here are the most common mistakes I see in the gym. Let this be the last time I warn you.
You Don't Use a Training Log
It's hard to break records that don't exist. So invest in a clipboard. Then focus on lifting more total weight each workout. It's the key to building muscle. Here's how: Multiply the amount of weight you lift for each exercise by the total number of times you lift it. Then increase that number every workout by moving heavier weights, increasing your repetitions, or doing more sets. So if in your last workout you did three sets of 10 repetitions of the bench press with 150 pounds, your total to beat is 4,500. Accomplish that goal by doing four sets instead of three, 11 repetitions instead of 10, 155 pounds instead of 150, or a combination of the three.

Beginners take note: Training logs aren't just for the big fellas. In a 2002 study, YMCA researchers found that 70 percent of exercisers who set goals stuck with their programs for the entire year. By contrast, three-quarters of those who didn't set goals dropped out.
You Try Too Hard
Working your muscles to failure—the point at which you absolutely can't do another repetition—isn't the best way to get bigger and stronger. As your muscles fatigue, they use fewer fast-twitch fibers, which have the greatest potential for size and strength gains. For most exercises there's an easy fix: You can simply use a weight that allows you to finish all of your repetitions.

But body-weight exercises like chinups don't allow that luxury. The solution: Cut your repetitions in half and double the number of sets you do. So if you can do only three sets of four chinups, you'll switch to six sets of two repetitions. That way, the total number you do is the same as in your typical three sets of four, but you'll focus your training where it counts the most—on those fast-twitch muscle fibers.
You Have a Big Ego
Don't feel terrible if you're guilty of trying to lift more weight than you can handle. It's a product of our natural inclination to be better than the other guy. (If we can't have his job, his house, or his car, we can at least outlift the smug bastard.) But the only way heavy weights benefit your end goal is if you lift them with perfect form. Item #5, on the next page, describes a few of the signs that you're working with more weight than you can handle. Some less obvious clues:

You can't perform an exercise through its full range of motion. For instance, on a squat, you know you should lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor. But if you're using too much weight, you don't dare go down that low for fear of getting stuck, so you stop halfway and then return to the starting position.

You can't do your entire set without the help of a spotter. You should always have one on hand for your maximum-weight sets, but he's there for safety, not to actually help you perform your repetitions.

You can't hold on to the bar without wrist straps. Straps are effective if you use them occasionally, but many men use them on all their sets to mask weak grip strength. You're better off using weights you can hold without assistance, and forcing your grip strength to improve along with muscle size and strength. Trust us: Lift without straps and soon you'll be lifting more than you ever could with them.

Your lower back arches like a sapling in a windstorm on bench presses and arm curls.

Universal ego-fixing drill: Once a month, do 10 sets of a single repetition of an important exercise such as the bench press, squat, or deadlift. Use about two-thirds of the maximum weight you're capable of lifting on that exercise. If possible, have a trainer or knowledgeable friend evaluate your form. Strive for perfection on each repetition. Once perfect form for that exercise becomes second nature to you, you'll reap greater gains—with fewer injuries—from your normal workouts.

You Do the Same Old Exercises
Muscles get bigger and stronger when they're challenged with new exercises and techniques. And yet gyms are filled with guys who are still doing the same exercises they learned in their first workout program—no matter whether they learned them 2 months or two presidential administrations ago. Chances are, their muscles stopped responding to the exercises halfway through Paula Jones's deposition.

All exercises have an expiration date. A general guideline: If an exercise uses more than one joint (for example, the bench press uses the shoulders and elbows; the squat uses the hips and knees), you can do it for 8 weeks before you should switch to another exercise for the same muscles. If it involves a single joint (biceps curl, triceps pushdown, lateral raise), find a substitute after just 4 weeks.

Below are some popular exercises and good substitutes (find exercise descriptions at www.menshealth.com).

If you've been doing . . . Leg press
Switch to . . . Squat
And then to . . . Wide-stance squat

If you've been doing . . . Leg curl
Switch to . . . Romanian deadlift
And then to . . . Good morning

If you've been doing . . . Deadlift
Switch to . . . Sumo deadlift
And then to . . .Snatch-grip deadlift

If you've been doing . . . Barbell bench press
Switch to . . . Incline or decline bench press
And then to . . . Wide-grip or close-grip bench press

If you've been doing . . . Lat pulldown
Switch to . . . Pullup or chinup
And then to . . . Wide-grip, close-grip, neutral-grip (palms facing each other), or weighted pullup or chinup

If you've been doing . . . Arm curl
Switch to . . . Preacher curl or incline curl
And then to . . . Wide-grip or narrow-grip curl

If you've been doing . . . Triceps extension
Switch to . . . Overhead triceps extension (French press)
And then to . . . Incline or decline triceps extension

You Use Incorrect Form
Quit flexing. Mirrors are in gyms for a reason, but not that reason. They're the easiest way for you to monitor your form and avoid injury. Three signs you're doing an exercise wrong:

The barbell isn't parallel to the floor. If it's tilted to one side, you're applying more force with one arm or leg than the other. Keep your movement precise and consistent throughout each repetition—as if you were performing each exercise on a machine.

Your lower back is rounded. This isn't a mistake in all exercises (you have to round your back to do most abdominal exercises properly), but it shouldn't happen during squats, deadlifts, or rows.

Your torso sways forward and back. On power exercises—deadlifts, squats, cleans—your torso needs to move. But if you sway like a mast on the Edmund Fitzgerald while doing curls, rows, or presses, you're doing something wrong (see #3 for the most likely explanation).

You Run Too Much
A little running—about 20 minutes on the days following your weight-lifting sessions—can help you recover from your workouts faster. But a lot of running can prevent your body from gaining muscle and strength. One possible reason: Running damages your lower-body muscles, and exercise-induced muscle damage significantly decreases leg strength, according to a 2002 study published in the Journal of Sports Science.

Don't run or cycle the day before a weight workout in which you plan to work your leg muscles.

You can do a light run the day after a leg workout to help speed recovery and reduce muscle soreness, but a hard run will probably undo the benefits of the weight workout.

Don't train for a triathlon or marathon while you're trying to build serious muscle and strength. You can train for both endurance and strength throughout the year, but not at the same time.

You Warm Up on a Treadmill
For most men, warming up means running on a treadmill or pedaling an exercise bike. But that 10-minute aerobic workout only prepares the muscles of your lower body to lift.

A better way to warm up—especially when you're crunched for time—is to focus on the specific muscles you'll be using in your weight workout. Try this quick three-set routine. For your lower body, warm up with squats. For your upper body, use a combination of bench presses and rows. Start with a weight that you figure you can lift 15 to 20 times, but perform only six repetitions. Wait 30 seconds, increase the weight to an amount you can lift just 10 to 15 times, and do four repetitions. Rest again, increase the weight to an amount you can lift five to 10 times, and do two repetitions.

You Play to Your Strengths
It's human nature to spend more time on the muscles that work best--a dangerous mistake, as it happens. A 2002 study found that 70 percent of men with recurrent hamstring injuries suffered from muscle imbalances between their quadriceps and hamstrings—the muscles of the front and back of the thighs. After correcting the imbalances with equal training for both areas, every man in the study went injury-free for the entire 12-month follow-up.

Use the general guidelines below to check your muscle balance. The strength ratio for each set of muscle groups represents the amount of weight that the first muscle group should be able to lift compared with the second muscle group. If one group is proportionally weaker than it should be, you have to hit it first in your workouts until it catches up.

Muscle group: Quadriceps (front of thighs)
Opposing muscle group: Hamstrings (back of thighs)
Ideal strength ratio: 3:2
Sample exercises: Leg extension, leg curl
Sample weights (lb): 90:60

Muscle group: Biceps
Opposing muscle group: Triceps
Ideal strength ratio: 1:1
Sample exercises: Arm curl, triceps extension
Sample weights (lb): 45:45

Muscle group: Front shoulders
Opposing muscle group: Rear shoulders
Ideal strength ratio: 2:3
Sample exercises: Cable front raise, cable bent-over rear-shoulder raise
Sample weights (lb): 20:30

Muscle group: Internal shoulder rotators
Opposing muscle group: External shoulder rotators
Ideal strength ratio: 3:2
Sample exercises: Cable internal rotation, cable external rotation
Sample weights (lb): 30:20

http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/get_more_muscle/index.php?cm_mmc=BONL-_-2010_Oct_20-_-HTML-_-dek



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The Dwight Freeney Workout: An Inside Look

This is the story of two men.

One man: Adam Bornstein (left), the fitness editor forMen's Health, stands 5'8" and weights about 175. The other: Dwight Freeney (the big one), a 6'1" 270-pound, Pro Bowl defensive end and all-time sack leader for the Indianapolis Colts. It's Born vs. Freeney.

One man has been called short, scrappy, and was voted most likely to sell his soul for protein powder and carton of eggs (yeah, that's me). The other is known as one of the most-feared football players in the NFL and in 2007 signed what was then the highest contract ever for a defensive player. This slideshow is a snapshot of approximately 2 hours of training together. 

Freeney Prepares for the Workout

It's time to meet the cast; let's start with the star. The one, the only, Dwight Freeney. (Say cheese!)

Meet the Trainer

And now the man behind the curtain: The trainer, Ryan Capretta, C.S.C.S.

The Warmup

Let's get to work. The day started with a drive to the Santa Monica Mountains and what Capretta called a light jog (translation: We ran a mountain).

Training for Speed

Then we progressed from a jog to a sprint. But might I add we did it tied to a 100-pound tire. I took the term "eat my dust" to heart. I think I can still taste the sand. 

The Fitness Editor Works His Core

Enough with the running. Here's my take at some rotational strength. I thought I looked like I'm in decent shape. But that was before I saw the next picture. 

Train Your Rotational Core

And here's Dwight doing the same exercise. I think it's safe to say that he looks like a pro football player and I don't. Oh yeah: He also tossed the tire about 30 feet farther than I did.

Freeney Focuses on Lifting the Tire

Dwight prepares to flip a 200-pound tire, which might be how much his right arm weighs.

200 Pounds of Rubber Meets 175 Pounds of Editor

Here I am flipping the tire. And yes, with a little bit of effort I made this happen 10 times.

Freeney Flexes His Muscles

Want to try something you won't typically see in a gym? Grab a sledgehammer, step on a tire, and slam away. That sledgehammer is much heavier than it looks. And Dwight's even bigger than he looks, too.

Even Professionals Feel Fatigue

The end result: 270 pounds of exhaustion.

Sledgehammer 101

Time for the little man to give it a try.

The NFL-Version of Core Training

I wasn't as forceful or as fast, but I left feeling like I should have been a lumberjack (or something like that).

Freeney vs. the Tire

Now it's on to dragging 200 pounds up a hill. Yes, I said 200 pounds. (Fear level: 3.0 out of 10.)

Ready . . . Set . . .

Something tells me this is a familiar position for Mr. Freeney.

Go!

I can't lie: He moves as if he were shot out of a cannon—speed, quickness, and power. All that was missing was his vicious spin move.

The Editor Prepares to Face the Hill

It's time for me to get suited up in the harness and give the hill a try. Keep in mind, the tire weighs more than me.

Moving in Slow Motion

No fear and absolutely no speed. I'll admit that I was slow. But, I made it up to the top each time. You just keep pumping your legs.

The End of the Outdoor Course

So we finish the outdoor course and pose to celebrate our victory. But wait. What's that? Ah yes, that was only half of our workout. Let's head indoors.

Time for the Gym

Dwight wanted to show me a little device he uses called the ARP Wave. It sends electrical currents through your muscles. We used it while performing exercises. Just imagine having your muscle contract as hard as possible, and then being forced to do exercises. As I would soon find out, this was not so much fun.

Inside the NFL Lab

We're strapped up to the machine and ready to go. Before we began, Capretta tells me, "Have you ever seen theGreen Mile and the electric chair scene? That's what this is like." (Fear level: 7.5)

Partner Training

Squats as the currents are running through my quads. I won't even tell you how hard it was to walk with the machine on.

Freeney: NFL Star or Mad Scientist?

Triple threat: Squats plus the ARP Wave and manual resistance provided by Capretta. Bring it!

Meet the Forgotten Muscle: Your Hamstrings

Dwight decides I'm not feeling the ARP enough. Time to crank up the amplitude of the current.

Thanks, Freeney

We're preparing for hamstring exercises. Dwight told me I have very athletic legs. Honestly. To be exact, he told me, "I can tell you're an athlete." Who am I to argue with Mr. Freeney? And if you have a problem with it, I'm guessing you can take it up with him. 

The Benefits of Working Your Legs

Dwight's legs = six of mine. They're HUGE. 

Swiss-Ball Hip Raise and Curl

Let's not forget Swiss-ball hip extensions and leg curls. For those who think this isn't a "man's exercise," think again. Just make sure you keep those hips up.

Pain Without Weights

Let's not forget Swiss-ball hip extensions and leg curls. For those who think this isn't a "man's exercise," think again. Just make sure you keep those hips up.

Performance Tip #1: Stay Hydrated

Let's now pause for station identification, Dwight's replenishing of lost fluids, and my preparation for the most torturous part of the day.

Shock Therapy

So we hooked the machine up to my biceps. I really had no idea how awkward this was about to get. The electrical current began flowing through my muscles. They tingled and tensed up.

The Man Behind the Pain

And then weird stuff started happening as Dwight turned the amplitude to its max. Look at my wrists (especially the right). That's involuntary movement and it's starting to crush me.

ARP Wave > MH Fitness Editor

Possessed! I couldn't make that face again if I tried. I felt like I was being attacked by 100 stun guns (just work with me). It was a different experience, that's for sure. If I had to explain the sensation, I would have said my biceps felt like they were about to explode through my skin and my traps were going to pop through my ears. (Fear level: 21.6 out of 10.)

Prehab

Finally on to some regular movements. Here's Dwight with some shoulder warmups.

Manual Resistance for Your Shoulders

Manual-resistance lateral raises. This is much tougher than it looks. Grab a partner and give it a try.

Master the Pushup Shuffle

Dwight gives new meaning to a game of shuffleboard. This is the exercise version. Go back and forth through the gauntlet.

More Pushup Shuffle

Now here's something I can actually do.

Knowledge = Power (and Strength)

Believe it or not, that was the warmup. Why did we need a warmup after all that time outdoors? Because Freeney is a pro (and quite possibly a machine). Here I am discussing the madness with the creator of the program, Ryan Capretta.

Build a Bigger Chest

Bench time! We did 15 rep sets with 4-second negatives. Fun stuff and different than what I'm used to. I'd recommend giving it a try to increase the difficulty of the exercise. 

Bench Like a Pro

Yeah—Dwight used much bigger weights than me. I'm sure you're shocked.

Chain Pushups

Chain-loaded pushups. Why not throw 90 extra pounds on your back and keep on going until you can't move? Now I know what it's like to be as heavy as Dwight. 

Heart of a Champion

I'm still going. I honestly thought that this was the one exercise that I could maybe challenge Dwight on. I finished with 22, and in my defense, it was after all of our bench-press work. But I was proud.

360-Pound Pushups

Now it's Dwight's turn. He started slow, and I was feeling pretty confident . . .

Training Till Failure

But he owned me (and then the chains crushed him). Dwight ripped off 40 reps. Wow. I was about ready to throw in the towel.

Nice Rack

But not quite yet. We're in California, which means you have to impress the ladies. And there's really only one way to do that . . .

Real NFL Muscle

With two tickets to the gun show. Time for a little vanity work with dumbbell curls. Did I mention Dwight is strong?

The Motivation of Healthy Competition

Dwight finished before me and started mocking the size of my arms.

Every Man Loves to Curl

Yes, Dwight. Your biceps are much larger than mine. I get it.

Victory Photo

And finally it's over. It was an eye-opening look at the intensity and commitment of a pro athlete in the heat of off-season conditioning (and the beginning of 6 days of soreness).

But you don't need truck tires and 90-pound chains to reap similar rewards. Click here for a modified version of Freeney's routine that you can do at any gym.

http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/Dwight_Freeney_Workout_An_Inside_Look/index.php?cm_mmc=DailyDoseNL-_-2010_10_20-_-HTML-_-body1
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