Yeshiva World News

In Part 1 of this article, we introduced new research showing that small amounts of exercise, even 15 minutes a day or accumulating an hour of jogging over an entire week brought incredible results in health benefits and longevity.  We continue in Part 2 with how to put into action and exercise and activity program that can take advantage of this and also fit into our daily lives.

Practical Solutions

The two key words to always keep in mind are: prioritize and organize. Use your time efficiently and you will be surprised at what you can accomplish before the end of the day. The most important thing to remember is that something is much better than nothing. With this in mind, let’s see how, given your busy schedule, you can still include the proper type of exercise in your day.

Wake up just five minutes earlier in the morning. After you have a few glasses of water, do a two-minute simple calisthenics routine. Then, spend another four to five minutes doing some easy stretching. Now, whether you are going to shul, taking the kids to school or on the way to work, walk two bus stops away and get off two bus stops before your destination. If you drive, park far enough away so that you get an eight-to-ten-minute walk to work. Use the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator as much as possible. At your lunch break, take fifteen minutes to eat, then go outside with friends and walk for fifteen to twenty minutes. You’ll feel refreshed when you come back and find you can work more efficiently.

Later in your working day, take a five-minute break. After drinking a glass of water, do fifteen push-ups against the wall of your office. Then try squatting and standing up again, eight to twelve times. While sitting at your desk, you can do seated crunches, as follows: sit up tall, with one hand behind your head and the other one holding on to the edge of your chair’s seat. Pull your abdominal muscles inward. Slowly curl down and forward just a few inches. As you do so, pull your abs in even tighter. Hold a moment and then slowly uncurl to a very tall position. This move strengthens your abdominal muscles. Try ten or so.

During the course of the day, you can work in some of these basic desk stretches.

Stretch your shoulders and neck by gently rolling your shoulders clockwise and counter-clockwise ten times in each direction.

Stretch your lower back by draping forward over your lap.

To stretch the back of your leg, extend your leg, lean over in your chair, and reach your arms toward your feet. You can increase the effectiveness of this stretch by lifting your toe up in the air. Repeat on both sides.

On the way home, make sure you get in another five to ten minutes of brisk walking. Between all those staircases and walking, you’ve probably accumulated about thirty minutes of aerobic exercise for the day. As you can see, every little bit helps. And beyond these tips, it helps to approach every day and every situation as a workout waiting to happen. If you have the time, or can try hard to make the time, there are certainly better and more beneficial ways to work out. But on the days that you just can’t, make every effort to fit it in wherever you can.

The Benefits

If you are generally sedentary, you will find this lifestyle change difficult and perhaps even somewhat uncomfortable at the beginning. However, you will begin to feel better overall very quickly. Let’s say you decide that at the beginning, you will walk up three flights of stairs per day in your office or apartment building. You have just prevented three to four pounds (1.5 kilograms) of weight gain for the coming year. If five days a week, you begin parking your car five minutes away from your home, park it five minutes away from work and add a ten-minute brisk walk during lunch, you will lose about a pound per month. That is twelve pounds per year. Not only will you lose some weight, but your cardiovascular health will also improve greatly.

According to research done by the American College of Sports Medicine, even moderate-intensity exercise – that is, activity that raises your pulse rate to only the very bottom or even slightly under the aerobic range – has enormous benefits for your heart and lungs. According to one study, moderate-intensity exercise and activity can be as effective as vigorous exercise. In other words, the desk-bound executive who regularly jogs may not be much better off than a person who does moderate intensity exercise throughout the day.

There have been several studies confirming the great benefits of increased activity. At the Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research, a study followed 13,000 men and women over an eight-year period of time. The mortality rate from all causes was significantly lower in those with moderate levels of fitness than the low-level fitness group. A University of Michigan study yielded almost identical results from a study that followed 12,000 middle-aged men. The active group engaged in gardening, yard work, home repairs, dancing, swimming and home exercise programs. A third study completed at Stanford University indicated that people who engaged in moderate-level activity for eight weeks at thirty minutes per day, whether consecutive or in three ten-minute sessions, experienced significant cardiovascular improvement.

In Conclusion

A few years ago, I had a client whose goal was to improve his overall health and shed a few pounds. He had a very busy schedule and therefore, committing to my full program was not doable. Since he generally ate healthfully, his diet needed only some slight adjustments. We included a longer route to the bus and had he began using the stairs in his building instead of the elevator whenever possible. In three months’ time, he dropped 4 kilo (8.8 pounds) – without a formal exercise program.  He found increased energy for his daily tasks and both his cholesterol and blood pressure showed marked improvement.

Remember that Utopian world we mentioned a few weeks back? The ideal model is for people to set aside time on a daily basis for high-intensity exercise. But we need to be practical, and when taking into account people’s lifestyles, this isn’t always realistic. As we can clearly see, it’s the small changes you can make in your overall lifestyle habits that can make the biggest difference in your health. Increasing your activity levels is just one more way to “add hours to your days, days to your years and years to your life.”

Alan Freishtat is an A.C.E. CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER and a LIFESTYLE FITNESS COACH with over 16 years of professional experience. He is the co-director of the Jerusalem-based weight loss and stress reduction center Lose It! along with Linda Holtz M.Sc. and is available for private consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs. Alan also lectures and gives seminars and workshops. He can be reached at 02-651-8502 or 050-555-7175, or by email at alan@loseit.co.il  www.loseit.co.il

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In the utopian dream world of the fitness professional, everyone sets aside an hour or more a day for a complete workout, including aerobic, resistance and flexibility training. But in today’s society, we all know that’s not likely to happen. And now we know that there can be tremendous benefit from doing less that that hour.

I was amazed to see a very extensive study that came out only a few weeks ago showing that a mere one hour of jogging per week could add as much as 6 years to one life, and that means a 44% reduction in the relative risk of death over 35 years compared with deaths among non-joggers. If we turn back the clock about 40 years, we can see the monumental study of Dr. Ralph Paffenbarger called the college alumni study showing that exercise, particularly running and brisk walking reduced coronary death rates by up to 33%, but his research was based on running or walking 25 miles per week (40 Kilometers). Most studies since then have been focused on 30-35 minutes of cardiovascular (aerobic) exercise. But yet another study from last August, 2011, which appeared in the journal The Lancet, found that doing 15 minutes of leisure time physical activity was linked with an average three added years of life expectancy, along with a 10% decrease in cancer mortality and a 20% drop in cardiovascular disease, compared with sedentary people. It has become clear that deriving benefit from exercise is not an all or nothing adventure—a little bit can go a long way.

So, just how do we make it easier to get fit — and stay fit?

No Excuses!

Finding all the reasons in the world not to exercise is easy. “I don’t have time.” “I look ridiculous.” “It’s raining.” “It’s too hot.” “It’s too cold.” “I’m too tired.” “I hate exercise.” Couch potatoes have hundreds of excuses which prevent them from exercising. Even those of us who understand the importance of exercise have problems from time to time motivating ourselves to do what we know we need to do. And people who belong to a gym or health club may notice the months slipping by (as well as their money) without finding the time to work out. How, then, can we overcome these roadblocks so that we can do what we need to for the sake of our health and well-being?

The single most common barrier to exercise is a perceived lack of time. It’s very easy to convince yourself that your morning session can wait until after lunch, then after dinner, then until tomorrow. In today’s fast-paced world, the failure to prioritize and schedule our exercise into our busy day almost guarantees that it will not happen. However, “no time” is a pretty lame excuse. Research has shown that exercise not only improves your health, but it also increases productivity, so you actually can accomplish more! Another roadblock…. Many people claim that they just don’t like to exercise. The first step is to find an exercise that you do like to do or can LEARN to like. Try hiking or walking with a friend. Or put on headphones when you are exercising and listen to your favorite music or Torah tape.

We are often discouraged from maintaining an exercise routine when we don’t see immediate results from our workouts. The first rule is: stay off the scale! Think about what progress you have made even if the weight isn’t coming off as quickly as you would like. Can you walk further or faster than when you started? Are you less winded? Can you lift heavier weights or do more repetitions? Do you feel healthier and more energized? Many people have unrealistic expectations, and when they have trouble reaching them, they are ready to give up. Be keenly aware that exercise is progressive. Have patience and set realistic, short-term goals for yourself. You don’t have to run a marathon to reap the health benefits of exercise.

Exercise “Lite”

But what if you are one of those people who really don’t have much time? There are several ways to work exercise and activity into your daily routine, and the benefits of doing even the minimum are immense. In 1993, the Centers for Disease Control in conjunction with the American College of Sports Medicine released their “Exercise Lite” recommendations. Based on scientific evidence, these recommendations clearly demonstrated substantial health benefits from moderate-intensity exercise. The basis of “Exercise Lite” is that each adult should accumulate thirty minutes of aerobic activity on most or all days of the week. A two-mile brisk walk will do the trick. Try this on the way to work and back, or on the way to shopping and back. Use the stairs instead of the elevator. Two days a week, include some resistance training and come up with a basic five-minute stretching routine for each day. In particular, people who lead sedentary lives must adopt a more active lifestyle for their health and well-being. This requires only small changes that increase daily physical activity and enable individuals to reduce their risk of chronic illness, give them more energy and endurance, and enhance their quality of life.

In part 2, we will continue with how to put into action and exercise and activity program that can take advantage of this and also fit into our daily lives.

Alan Freishtat is an A.C.E. CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER and a LIFESTYLE FITNESS COACH with over 16 years of professional experience. He is the co-director of the Jerusalem-based weight loss and stress reduction center Lose It! along with Linda Holtz M.Sc. and is available for private consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs. Alan also lectures and gives seminars and workshops. He can be reached at 02-651-8502 or 050-555-7175, or by email at alan@loseit.co.il www.loseit.co.il

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Genes-a word that can be used to define our genetic makeup or a convenient excuse? They can give us a predisposition for heart disease, cancer, or a shorter or longer life. I often hear from my clients; “I would love to do your weight loss program, but it is a waste of time. These are the Genes that G-d gave me there is nothing I can do about it.” We have all used or heard the standard reasons for not exercising and eating right—“It takes too much time”, “I can’t afford they gym or healthy food”, “I’m too tired and busy”, lately, I have been hearing more of the “I inherited this” excuse than I used to. Yes, there is definitely some predisposition for having more fat cells or less fat cells in your body, having high cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes, but so what! The question is, can we do anything to counter the family in inheritance and if so, what?

First of all, most of what we call “genetic” isn’t really. As we grow up, we develop various behaviors, both good and bad, based on what we see and imitate around us. If we grow up and are raised in an environment where overeating and a lazy lifestyle are prevalent, we internalize that and imitate it, without genes playing a particular role. New studies suggest that exercise and a healthful diet can override the harmful effects of some “bad genes” and boost the beneficial effects of others in all areas of health.

In one example, scientists at the University of Kuopio, in Finland, found that people with particular variants of three different genes stand a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes. But when people with these variants exercise regularly, they lessen the danger. Although the studies didn’t look at why, scientists have shown that exercise helps improve insulin sensitivity and blood-sugar levels.

Exercise can also amplify the effects of “good genes.” For example, people with one variant of a gene that controls cholesterol metabolism, typically have elevated levels of good HDL cholesterol. When those with this lucky gene variation exercise, as researchers at the Steno Diabetes Center in Gentofte, Denmark, reported recently, they get an even bigger boost in HDL levels.

Sedentary lifestyles, on the other hand, may make bad genetic interactions even worse. Growing evidence shows that certain variations of a gene called FTO are associated with being overweight or obese, for example. Research reported in the journal Diabetes earlier this year suggests that when people with these “fat” forms of the gene skimp on physical activity they are even more likely to accumulate fat. Fortunately, exercise can overpower the effects of this fat-accumulating gene variant, according to a study of 704 adults published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in September. Findings like these aren’t surprising.

A wealth of epidemiological studies already show that physical activity reduces the risk of heart disease and diabetes. The good news: even if you inherit an unlucky roll of the genetic dice, there’s plenty you can do to improve the odds.

And your diet can also help you overcome genetic factors. We know that eating a very healthy diet appears to make heart disease less likely, but now that even goes for people whose genes put them at a higher than normal risk of heart trouble. A diet high in fruits and vegetables appears to mitigate the genetic risk of a heart attack,” says a professor of medicine and epidemiology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. This finding could affect many people at risk for heart disease because of a genetic variant that researchers have only recently linked with heart attack. It could also call into question the suggestion that you can’t help your genes.

The studies used different dietary information. For one study, the researchers drew up a prudent diet score based mostly on raw vegetable and fruit intake. The score also took into account”risk” foods, such as fried foods, meat, and salty snacks.

For the other study, the score was based on intake of fruit, vegetables, and berries. Those who ate at least two out of those three foods daily earned the prudent rating.

The risk of heart attack for those with the bad genes who ate the least prudent diet was increased about 30%. “The risk of heart attack of those with the bad genotype who were in the high prudent diet group was not increased. This suggests that diet can weaken the effect of the genetic variation, the researchers say.

The study findings suggest that lifestyle does matter, no matter what your genes have dealt you. This suggests you may be able to do something about bad genes if you follow a prudent diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables. The worse the diet, the higher the risk of heart attack. The better the diet, the lower the risk.

In spite of a less than favorable predisposition, eating properly and exercising have been shown to “add hours to your day, days to your year and years to your life.”

Alan Freishtat is an A.C.E. CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER and a LIFESTYLE FITNESS COACH with over 16 years of professional experience. He is the co-director of the Jerusalem-based weight loss and stress reduction center Lose It! along with Linda Holtz M.Sc. and is available for private consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs. Alan also lectures and gives seminars and workshops. He can be reached at 02-651-8502 or 050-555-7175, or by email at alan@loseit.co.il www.loseit.co.il

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In all of my years as a personal trainer and my involvement in the weight loss industry, I think that the single most frequently asked question today isn’t “What piece of exercise equipment should I buy”?…and this was definitely THE question for many years. But lately, it is much more the question, “What do you think of getting the band for weight loss?”

The overweight/obesity epidemic is out of hand. The situation has now reached a point that the harm to the public health, which translates into harm for quality of life and definitely harm to everyone’s wallet has reached epidemic proportion, and the situation is not improving.

Recent studies tell us that if the obesity trends continue as they are now, by 2030 nearly half of all Americans will be obese. Consequently there will be an additional 6-8.5 million cases of diabetes, 5.7-7.3 million more cases of heart disease and stroke, and up to an additional 669,000 cases of cancer. Now get this—treatment for all preventable diseases will increase by $48 billion to $65 billion per year by 2030. We fully understand the problem and the terrible consequences of not reversing this trend. Nevertheless, instead of taking responsibility for ourselves and taking concrete steps to help ourselves, we still search for some easy way out. Taking a pill to lose weight would certainly be the easiest solution, but every weight loss pill to date has ended up with side effects so pronounced that they had to be pulled from the market. Out of desperation, we look for something invasive, such as bariatric surgery or gastric banding. However, even that is showing mixed results.

A new study done in Europe has questioned the long-term effectiveness of the LAP banding device, finding that many patients suffered major complications and half of them eventually had the device removed. The report, published Monday in the Archives of Surgery, focused on 82 surgeries performed between 1994 and 1997. Even though patients reported losing significant weight, complications such as band erosion and infections led researchers to conclude the surgery had “relatively poor long-term outcomes.” Four patients have died within the last two years following Lap-Band surgeries performed in Southern California, prompting medical malpractice lawsuits and investigations by the Medical Board of California. None of the patients involved in the European study died as a result of the surgeries. But 32 of 82 reported major complications, and 49 of them had additional surgeries, either to correct problems or because of a lack of weight loss.

What are the possible complications of the banding?

 Infection and migration. An infection may develop either in the port area or in the abdomen, and in some instances this may cause the band to migrate into the stomach.

Leakage. Leakage from the SAGB or from the connecting tube between the balloon and the port may require reoperation. The balloon is made of fragile material, and leakage can occur either shortly after surgery or many years later.

Slippage of the band and pouch dilatation. The band may slip, and the pouch (the part of the stomach above the band) may become too enlarged, and a reoperation may be necessary.

Punctures in the silicone band and port dislocation The injection port may dislocate and when injecting into the port, there is always the risk of puncturing the silicone tube.

Patients may vomit or feel pain after food intake. This can be caused either by a poor eating behavior, or by the narrowing of the SAGB following the injection of fluid into the balloon.

One more thing, nobody on the band will lose all the weight they may need to. They may lose enough weight to make a huge positive difference in their health, but you can’t lose it all that way.

If you your doctor suggested this procedure to you, be sure you have really tried everything else first. Have you done a course of behavioral therapy coupled with exercise and proper diet under strict supervision from qualified professionals? And just as important: HAVE YOU STAYED AWAY FROM THE WEIGHTLOSS GIMMICKS THAT PERMEATE OUR LIVES THROUGH ATTRACTIVE ADS BUT DO NOTHING FOR LONG TERM WEIGHTLOSS? An effective program to lose weight has you losing your extra kilos (pounds) at a slow, but steady rate. Extremely low calorie programs, supplements in the form of pills and hormonal injections just don’t do it—even if they tell you otherwise.

Invasive procedures into the body of any nature carry risk. But then again, so does being obese. But when “weighing” this decision, consider another finding from a study last year done in Holland.

Adjustable gastric banding achieves only modest weight loss, and even that benefit deteriorates over time in most patients. Edo Aarts, MD, reported at the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery meeting that five years after surgery, about two thirds of patients maintained 25% excess weight loss. At 10 years the success rate dropped to less than a third (31%). Using 40% excess weight loss as the standard, resulted in a five-year success rate of about 50%, which declined to 20% at 10 years.

So if you are viewing this as an automatic fix to your weight problem, don’t. Fortunately, there is a risk-free and safe solution to the obesity epidemic. It takes longer and requires hard work but can reverse this dangerous trend permanently. And if you have a positive attitude towards it and have the patience it takes, then losing weight without the band might be the better way to go.

Alan Freishtat is an A.C.E. CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER and a LIFESTYLE FITNESS COACH with over 16 years of professional experience. He is the co-director of the Jerusalem-based weight loss and stress reduction center Lose It! along with Linda Holtz M.Sc. and is available for private consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs. Alan also lectures and gives seminars and workshops. He can be reached at 02-651-8502 or 050-555-7175, or by email at alan@loseit.co.il www.loseit.co.il

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Some time ago, I wrote an article on the top risk factors for heart disease (almost all risk factors for heart disease apply to other areas of health as well). That article was based on research that was current at that time. Everything in that piece is still relevant. However, some fascinating new research has come out over the past year which now attributes a much higher importance to one risk factor in particular in comparison to all the others, and that is something called low Cardiorespiratory Fitness (CRF). Cardiorespiratory Fitness is the ability of respiratory, circulatory and muscular systems to consume, distribute and utilize oxygen during continuous activity. .

Let’s put this in perspective. If we look at two different cases, we have two males in their upper 40s who both see their physician for standard checkups. A. is a little bit over weight (BMI of 26) and his cholesterol is slightly above 200 and his blood pressure is 124/84. A. is an exerciser who does 30-35 minutes of brisk walking or slow jogging every week. He is also careful to use the stairs insteadof the elevator unless he has heavy packages and tries to walk, whenever possible. B. has cholesterol of 187 and even his ratio of HDL (good cholesterol) to his overall cholesterol is very good. His blood pressure is 118/78 and his weight is normal (MBI of 23.5). But B. has leads a sedentary lifestyle and doesn’t do any formal exercise. He uses elevators, parks as close as possible to his destinations, and sits in his office all day long on the computer and telephone. Who has the higher risk of heart disease and who has the higher risk of all-cause mortality? You might be surprised, but B. is probably in more trouble that A.

As I have stated previously, we have all heard about the risk factors for heart disease and coronary artery disease. There are about 20 together, and we can certainly control most of them (although some are beyond our control). Every hour of every day, we are all aging; we can’t turn back the chronological clock or change our family history. And if we were born with a low birth weight, there isn’t much we can do about that either. We can do something about most risk factors, and not necessarily with drug intervention. Case in point: a smoker can stop smoking. But there are many misconceptions when it comes to risk factors, and often, those things that really matter the most are not necessarily diagnosed through a blood test. Consequently, the underlying issue is that we have don’t always have accurate information as to what those risk factors actually are. CRF is one of the risk factors that we most certainly can do something about at just about any point of our lives. To simplify this, if you have trouble walking up hill or stairs, or even walking a reasonable distance on a flatter surface, you probably have this risk factor.

Unfortunately, when we go for a check up to the doctor, the emphasis is put on other risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol or weight. But those are easy to measure through blood tests, a blood pressure cuff, or a scale. Assessing our level of Cardiorespiratory Fitness is a little more difficult to measure accurately outside of the laboratory. Nevertheless, even an informal measure would tell us a lot.

Lee, D., et al investigated several research studies in 2010 that demonstrated beyond a doubt that moderate to high levels of CRF are associated with reduced risk of Cardiovascular disease (CVD). In 2009, Kodama et al. reviewed 33 investigations into this topic. They found that each MET (a unit of measure of energy expenditure) more that a person expends in exercise is worth a 13%-15% reduction in all-cause mortality and for the chance of having a cardiac event. The main finding however is everyone, regardless of age, gender, smoking status and weight (as measured with BMI) has reduced mortality rates from all causes, the more fit they are. One study found that even small, incremental improvements reaped large benefits.

But why is the level of CRF so pronounced as a risk factor? One of the most marked ways is that being fit reduces insulin resistance and allows your cells to use glucose as fuel better, and it prevents diabetes. Also, higher CRF shows a lower risk of all variables in metabolic syndrome (waist circumference, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, fasting blood sugar). Also, we know that people who have a higher level of Cardiorespiratory Fitness tend to have lower blood pressure. A study several years ago in Japan showed a direct correlation between lowering of blood pressure and people who walked to work- the longer the walk, the lower the blood pressure.

In order to increase your CVF, you don’t need to join a gym or go to exercise class. It’s free. Begin a walking program (okay, spend money on a good pair of running shoes) and start out slowly—even 3, 10 minute increments is useful at the beginning. But slowly build up your stamina and your distance. Remember, over time, if you can begin brisk walking, power walking or even some jogging, you will definitely reap even more benefit. This is less expensive than all the medications you may have to take if you don’t do this, and it is more beneficial in the long run (pun inteneded!).

The American Heart Association wants to improve the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20% by the year 2020 while reducing deaths from cardiovascular diseases and stroke by 20%. All the “wonder drugs” that have come out in the last 30 years for cholesterol and blood pressure and diabetes haven’t really made much of a dent in the realm of public health. Could it be that we all just starting taking care of our fitness (and make a few subtle changes in our diets) that it will make a difference? I think so!

Becoming fit and bettering your Cardiorespiratory Fitness is another way to “add hours to your day, days to your year and years to your life.”

Alan Freishtat is an A.C.E. CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER and a LIFESTYLE FITNESS COACH with over 16 years of professional experience. He is the co-director of the Jerusalem-based weight loss and stress reduction center Lose It! along with Linda Holtz M.Sc. and is available for private consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs. Alan also lectures and gives seminars and workshops. He can be reached at 02-651-8502 or 050-555-7175, or by email at alan@loseit.co.il www.loseit.co.il

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Why in the world would someone take whole wheat grain, crack the grain, pulverize it with rollers, and separate the endosperm from the dark, fibrous bran and the wheat embryo? Why would they take out important nutrients, vitamins, unsaturated fats, fiber and magnesium? And if intact grains are so healthy, why did we stop eating them and shift to highly refined grains? Especially when study after study has shown the ill effects of white, refined grains on our health?

White flour was a novelty for the upper classes. When rollers where introduced in the early 19th century in the milling process, that is when everything changed. Before roller milling was introduced, “white” flour was very expensive and only affordable to the wealthy. The poor used what we would call whole wheat flour today and the truly poor could only afford rye or barley flour. Once roller mills made it more affordable, white flour’s popularity exploded and everyone felt wealthy to have it. The fact that you could take this brown, grainy flour and “purify” it also helped make bread and cakes lighter, airier and fluffier. Buying white flour became a status symbol. White flour can also survive longer without refrigeration and as all processed foods, has a longer shelf-life. What is good for business and sales isn’t necessarily what is good for our health. The damage we have done to ourselves in the process has been severe.

Whole grains protect against diabetes. According to two large ongoing studies, people who consume whole grains are 30% less likely to develop diabetes. Because whole grains take longer to digest, you don’t get repeated insulin spikes, which lead to Type II diabetes.

Intact grains mean less heart disease. Also according to a large study, women who consume more whole grains were 30% less likely to develop heart disease than those who consumed refined grains.

Less refined grains mean better GI health. The fiber in whole grains helps keep the stool soft and bulky. This prevents constipation, which is the number one gastrointestinal complaint in the United States. 725 million dollars is spent annually on over-the-counter laxatives. Whole grains also help to prevent diverticulitis and diverticulosis.

Whole grains may prevent cancer. A recent overview of 40 control studies indicated that whole-grain consumption reduced the chances of developing mouth, stomach, colon, gallbladder and ovarian cancer.

A very recent study found a troubling link between higher consumption of white rice and Type 2 diabetes, a disease that in some countries is becoming an epidemic. “What we’ve found is white rice is likely to increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes, especially at high consumption levels such as in Asian populations,” according to Qi Sun of the Harvard School of Public Health .”But at the same time people should pay close attention to the other things they eat.”It’s very important to address not just a single food but the whole pattern of consumption.”
In the British Medical Journal (BMJ), Sun’s team said the link emerged from an analysis of four previously published studies, carried out in China, Japan, Australia and the United States. These studies followed 350,000 people over a timescale from four to 22 years. More than 13,000 people developed Type 2 diabetes. In the studies carried out in China and Japan, those who ate most rice were 55 percent likelier to develop the disease than those who ate the least. In the United States and Australia, where consumption of rice is far lower, the difference was 12 percent.

Be sure the products you are buying are truly whole-grain. Often, breads are brown in color, but are made with white processed flour. Check the ingredients carefully to be sure. If the taste of a whole-grain food like pasta or brown rice isn’t palatable to you, begin by mixing it with the white refined version and slowly increasing the ratio of intact grains to refined grains. Speak to people who have made the switch. Once they reacquire their taste-buds and get used to whole grain products, it is difficult to return to the white flour products and some even refer to the taste and texture similar of the white stuff like eating cardboard. Remember – the more any food is processed, the more nutrients, minerals and vitamins are lost.

Whereas at one time, you could only find whole wheat, whole rye, brown rice and whole grain pasta in health food stores, now they are available just about everywhere. According to the USDA, only 1% of ingested food in the United States is unrefined as opposed to 20% for refined grains. Studies suggest that the more this ratio changes in favor of whole grains, the less disease there will be. Once you make the change, you will realize how much natural flavor and taste are in whole grains and you may never want that piece of white bread again.

Whether it is pasta, bread, rice, couscous or any other grain, eating whole, unrefined grains is another way to “add hours to your day, days to your year and years to your life.”

Alan Freishtat is an A.C.E. CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER and a LIFESTYLE FITNESS COACH with over 16 years of professional experience. He is the co-director of the Jerusalem-based weight loss and stress reduction center Lose It! along with Linda Holtz M.Sc. and is available for private consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs. Alan also lectures and gives seminars and workshops. He can be reached at 02-651-8502 or 050-555-7175, or by email at alan@loseit.co.il www.loseit.co.il USA Line 1-516-568-5027

It wasn’t long ago that the standard advice for good health was: eat right, exercise and don’t smoke. However today, health care professionals are adding another very important element to that list—get enough sleep.

In today’s world of one big global economy, more and more people are working jobs that require second and third shifts; they are working out of their time zone. Many watch late-night television or use the Internet till the wee hours. Worries and daily problems keep us from sleeping enough hours or from sleeping soundly.

According to research done at the Mayo Clinic, insufficient sleep results in memory impairment, slower reaction times, lack of alertness and general grumpiness. Tired people are less productive at work, less patient with others and less interactive in their relationships. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 100,000 crashes each year are due to drivers falling asleep at the wheel.

For those of us who exercise regularly, we all know how unproductive a session can be when we have failed to get a good night’s sleep. And – just to kick you when you’re down – lack of sleep will also disrupt your metabolism and cause you to secrete more of the hormone cortisol. This increases your appetite and causes you to crave fatty foods.

But just how much sleep is considered “enough”? Even though most evidence indicates that the amount of sleep needed is highly individualized, the majority people require seven to eight hours of sleep at night. According to the National Sleep Foundation, one-third of Americans are sleeping six-and-a-half hours per night – or less.

Dr. John Shepard Jr., who runs the Mayo Sleep Clinic, offers the following advice on how to get a better night’s sleep.

 Stick to a schedule. That means not sleeping much more on Shabbat or holidays. Make an effort to go to sleep and wake up about the same time every day.

 Don’t eat or drink a lot before bedtime. Try to stop eating about 2 hours before bedtime. And remember that drinking too much before bed will cause you to wake up several times to urinate in the middle of the night.

 Avoid Caffeine and Nicotine. Addictive stimulants will keep you awake. Don’t have caffeine at least 7-8 hours before bedtime.

 Exercise! Exercise and regular physical activity enhance the quality of sleep.

 Keep the room cool. A room that is overheated isn’t good for sleeping. Keeping the room cool mimics your internal body temperature at night.

 Sleep at night. Avoid daytime naps, but if you do need to nap, do so before 3 o’clock in the afternoon and never sleep for more than one hour.

 Keep it quiet. Silence is more conducive to sleep. Don’t keep the TV or radio on as you fall asleep. Use earplugs or a running fan if need be to eliminate background street noise.

 Your bed is for sleep. Make sure you bed is comfortable and only use it for sleeping. Go there when you are tired and turn out the lights. If you can’t fall asleep within 30 minutes, go somewhere else and do something else, like reading on the living room couch, until you get tired.

If you try all of these tips for a period of time and you still can’t sleep, seek professional help from a sleep center or a physician that specializes in sleep disorders.

Before the light bulb was invented, people averaged about ten hours of sleep per night! That makes the average standard nowadays seem frighteningly low. Getting adequate sleep is a key ingredient to living a life filled with clarity, vitality and health.

Alan Freishtat is an A.C.E. CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER and a LIFESTYLE FITNESS COACH with over 16 years of professional experience. He is the co-director of the Jerusalem-based weight loss and stress reduction center Lose It! along with Linda Holtz M.Sc. and is available for private consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs. Alan also lectures and gives seminars and workshops. He can be reached at 02-651-8502 or 050-555-7175, or by email at alan@loseit.co.il

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If you have looked at the New York Times best seller list lately, you will notice that most of the books sitting right near the top are diet books. These books talk about anything from telling people to eat only protein, cutting all sugar, eating fruit only in the morning, and staying in certain zones. Over the years, we’ve seen grapefruit diets, cabbage soup diets, diets written by doctors and diets written by Hollywood stars. All of these diets have one thing in common, they just don’t work.

“Well”, you say, “I lost 15 kilo on such and such a diet.” That may be true, and all diets will give you some initial weight lose because they all cut your calories.

But, let’s look at the long term. How much do you weigh two and five years after your initial weight loss? At what nutritional cost is this diet that you are on?

The statistics speak for themselves. About 95% of people that diet gain it all back or more within a few years. Also, when you go on one of these diets or eating plans, are you omitting certain foods that you need as major nutrients such as dietary fiber and carbohydrates as well as selected vitamins, minerals, and protective phytochemicals?

Is your diet balanced, prescribing a daily dietary intake that has just enough lean protein and healthy fats but is high enough in unrefined carbs? Is the weight that you are losing fat weight or water and muscle weight (unhealthy weight)?

Americans alone are spending $40 billion per year on weight reduction. It certainly is healthier to be thin than overweight or obese. So, if that is the case, why not do what is necessary to lose weight permanently? Eat right and exercise. It sounds simple enough; yet, everyone is looking for a magic pill in the form of some gimmick diet.

A diet rich in vegetables and fruits in many varieties and using whole grains are essential, but watch out for the portion distortion. You can gain weight on healthy foods too. At the same time, daily exercise, even if that is just moderate walking for 30 minutes is needed. The combination of cutting your calories, consuming more burnable calories, and expending energy through exercise and activity is the right combination for long term body fat reduction.

It is not a big secret anymore. Diets don’t work, they never have. A diet is something we “go on” and then we “go off” and that is why the failure rate on maintaining weight loss through ANY diet is so miserable. But let’s look at this from the other side. About 5% of people who engage in a weight loss program keep off the weight. They are not the ones featured for weight loss companies and programs in commercials and advertisements—they just lose weight in a healthful manner, keep it off, and celebrate a great quality of life Let’s take a look at the common denominator between this group of successful weight controllers to better understand their success.

They may not be touting a gimmick to other people, but they do solicit help. They look for “diet” and exercise buddies and they are verbal about what they are doing. They share their progress with their family and friends. This, along with setting specific, reasonable goals is a tremendous help. Don’t be afraid to announce your goals to others and to write them down for yourself.
They pay attention to what they are doing. The one thing all weight loss experts agree on is the planning and tracking your food and exercise is an invaluable tool. It creates mindfulness and awareness. These 5% don’t rely on chance. They understand what a portion is, either though measuring or eyeballing, but they know. And those portions are kept under control and done so without feeling deprived.
They make weight loss a positive experience. This is something good for you that will make you feel better and make you feel better about yourself. Being optimistic and having positive affirmations about your new way of life will only bring greater and better success. Enjoy what you are doing and reap the fantastic benefits of living a healthier and longer life.
They make gradual changes. These 5% know that this is not an instant fix. They know that permanent change is gradual and it is a process. Too much, too soon is doomed to failure. Changing habits is an extremely difficult task in any realm of life. One change at a time and remember, you aren’t in a hurry, you just need to get there.
They know that failure IS an option—as long as you can get back on track. We are human beings and we all make mistakes, but how do we handle those mistakes and do we learn from them? All or nothing attitudes are doomed to failure. Do your best and when things go wrong, remember to say “Oh Well” and go back to your program—your program for a healthy life and all of the benefits we reap from it. Each failure should be another step to success. All or nothing won’t work.
There is nothing better than learning from those who are successful in any area of life. The 5% that do succeed create a new and better life for themselves. Learn from those who have sensibly and successfully lost weight and inches and maintained it. By following these 5 common denominators, you too can “add hours to your day, days to your year and years to your life.”

Alan Freishtat is an A.C.E. CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER and a LIFESTYLE FITNESS COACH with over 16 years of professional experience. He is the co-director of the Jerusalem-based weight loss and stress reduction center Lose It! along with Linda Holtz M.Sc. and is available for private consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs. Alan also lectures and gives seminars and workshops. He can be reached at 02-651-8502 or 050-555-7175, or by email at alan@loseit.co.il www.loseit.co.il

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A common excuse that people give for not eating right and exercising is that they are “just not motivated”. What exactly is motivation? According to the dictionary, motivation means to “provide with an incentive, impel or stimulate to action—to give a reason.” Realistically how motivated are we during the course of an average day to do any task? We wake up to an alarm, run to school or work to be on time, do dishes and laundry, fix the car, go to the dentist and clean up after our kids. Are we motivated to do all those things? What are the ramifications of not doing those things?

It is no secret that even a 30 minute moderate daily walk does so much for our health. We also know that just a few small changes in our diet, like adding a few more vegetables, fruits and whole grains, and just cutting back on some of the unhealthy snacks and transfats will enhance our wellbeing. Yet, only a small part of the population actually makes these changes. Lately, even monetary prizes have been used in reality events to get people to lose weight, only to see many of them just gain it all back over the year following their weight loss. So as far as motivation goes, it can be a great thing is you can attain it, but for most people, it only goes so far, if it goes anywhere at all. We are all educated people and we have learned what is good for us and what isn’t, yet the rate of people who smoke, overeat, are sedentary and are stressed is significant. So that leaves us with a question: I know I have to take care of myself and all of the traditional motivators aren’t doing it for me, what now? The answer is “DO IT ANYWAY”!

If we are late for school or work we face the principal or boss, if we let the dishes pile up we will have a big mess and no dishes to use, if we ignore the car problems we won’t get anywhere at all! Many of the things we do daily we are not terribly excited to do but we do them anyway. And usually we feel better after we finish a task or chore—we feel accomplished and we are better able to function.

You may not be motivated to eat right and exercise, but it is probably wise to do it anyway. We all know that a healthy lifestyle benefits us in multiple ways so why not put a healthy diet and exercise on the do it anyway list! Once you take that first step towards health, things become easier. Start with small incremental changes and the self-motivating factors will kick in. You will begin to notice how much better you feel after exercise and how your clothes fit better when you lose weight. Most of all you can see your blood sugar, your cholesterol, blood pressure and overall health improve. And your emotional state of being will surely improve. The better you feel the more likely it is that you will continue exercising. In order to get started, you may have to do it anyway, but most likely over time it will become a part of your life. Lo Lishma, Ba Lishma.

As taking care of our health is a Torah based mitzvah, doing it anyway shouldn’t be a problem. We don’t always understand all of our daily mitzvahs, but we do them. Include this one too. When motivation is low, get yourself to “do it anyway” and just maybe the motivation will come, but even if it doesn’t, doing it anyway is another way to “add hours to your day, days to your year, and years to your life.”

Alan Freishtat is an A.C.E. CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER and a LIFESTYLE FITNESS COACH with over 16 years of professional experience. He is the co-director of the Jerusalem-based weight loss and stress reduction center Lose It! along with Linda Holtz M.Sc. and is available for private consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs. Alan also lectures and gives seminars and workshops. He can be reached at 02-651-8502 or 050-555-7175, or by email at alan@loseit.co.il Check out the Lose It! web site – www.loseit.co.il US Line: 516-568-5027

If it’s too good to be true, it’s too good to be true.” One area where this always seems to apply, is in the area of weight loss. We are inundated daily with advertisements encouraging us to buy all kinds of devices, powders, books, DVDs and creams. For $9.99 you can have a flat stomach, look great, look 20 years younger, and find eternal happiness. The proof is in the dramatic “before” and “after” pictures. Americans spends a whopping 40 billion dollars each year on weight loss gimmicks, products and programs. And what a terrible investment that is since 97% of these people will gain back everything they have lost if not more after 2-3 years.

To avoid falling into the magic-wand trap, the experts at Sparkpeople have identified 12 key phrases to watch out for:

1. “It’s so easy to lose weight without dieting or exercising!”

2. “Eat whatever you want and still lose weight!”

3. “Lose weight forever…you’ll never need to diet again

4. “Block the digestion and absorption of fat, carbs, or calories

5. “Rapid weight loss: Lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks!”

6. “Finally, a weight loss formula for everyone!”

7. “Lose weight with this miracle diet patch, cream or gel!”

8. “Scientifically Proven! Doctor Endorsed!”

9. “Money-back guarantee!”

10. “100% safe!”

11. Those convincing testimonials:

12. “A miraculous breakthrough!”

If you hear any of these phrases, watch out! Essentially, none of the products being sold in this manner can possible work for long-term and permanent weight loss. Recently, someone came to our Lose It! nutritionist Elisheva Rosenberg and reported of spending 1,500 shekel on a popular and well advertised weight loss supplement only to have seen absolutely NO result. It hurts me to see so many people spend money they may not really have on products that do absolutely nothing. They may have a great hechsher, and maybe the health ministry deems them to be “safe” (they are, they won’t harm you in most cases–they will harm your wallet however) but they don’t work!

Here are some of my favorites: Hormone injections that have been proven in double blind studies to have no effect on weight loss coupled with a 500 calorie (nutrition depriving) daily diet. Body wraps that help you lose weight. Lotions and creams made out of natural extracts, and of course, there are all those protein shakes that don’t build muscle any more than eating a nice piece of grilled chicken or salmon.

So, how do we lose weight and keep it off? The answer has always been and will always be the same. Make a calculation as to what your resting metabolic rate is. See how much you need to eat in order to lose weight WITHOUT getting hungry or slowing your metabolism. Calories count! You can gain weight even if you eat healthy food. Add in the exercise and activity equation and you are all set. It is important from a perspective of health to include vegetables, fruits and whole grains in your eating and it is just as important to include monounsaturated fats and omega 3s. See a weight loss professional, such as a registered dietician and/or a personal trainer to get the initial food and exercise programs set so they are safe and effective. Remember that doing things that are radical in nature, such as liquid fasts, detox, very low calorie diets, very low carbs, very low protein, or eliminating any essential food group won’t help you and may even be harmful. Beware of “the diet” and beware of the gimmick. As Lose It! Weight Loss Center therapist Mrs. Linda Holtz tells her clients; “Diets are something you go on, until you go off. It isn’t permanent and it isn’t a way of life”.

These tempting shortcuts are certainly NOT your ticket to success. But here’s the good news! There really is a weight loss formula that works for just about everyone. And it really does work. Eating properly will not only promote weight loss, but getting proper nutrition will help you stay healthy and prevent the onset of many diseases. By including exercise, not only are you burning calories and raising your metabolism (to use more calories even while you are at rest), but the other benefits of exercise are endless, including preventing heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and not to mention it is good for your emotional well being. Yes, the process may take a while but slow and steady wins the race to permanent weight loss.

Eating right and balanced exercising will “add hours to your day, days to your year and years to your life.”

Alan Freishtat is an A.C.E. CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER and a LIFESTYLE FITNESS COACH with over 16 years of professional experience. He is the co-director of the Jerusalem-based weight loss and stress reduction center Lose It! along with Linda Holtz M.Sc. and is available for private consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs. Alan also lectures and gives seminars and workshops. He can be reached at 02-651-8502 or 050-555-7175, or by email at alan@loseit.co.il www.loseit.co.il

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Congratulations! You’ve finally decided to start working out. Your goal is overall health and weight loss. You’ve been at it for a while and you feel great, but the scale just isn’t moving enough. You either aren’t disciplined enough to cut back on your caloric intake and eat better, more wholesome and less fatty foods, or, your lifestyle is such that you just don’t have the time to deal with the problem. Perhaps you just have a very slow metabolism or a thyroid problem. Are you any better off than if you weren’t exercising? Well, the answer is a resounding YES. There is more and more evidence showing that people can be healthy without losing weight. This doesn’t mean that thin isn’t better, but, some of the latest studies have shown some surprising results

For many years, people have become obsessed with weight loss in relation to good health and for good reason. There is an obesity epidemic in the western world, particularly the United States, and that certainly makes us focus on weight loss. Many studies have shown beyond a doubt that there is great health benefit in keeping your weight at an ideal level. Unfortunately, when people fail in the weight reduction program, they stop exercising as well. Overweight doesn’t have to mean unfit. Even if you don’t lose weight, the latest research shows there are many benefits from by continuing to exercise.

A study, under the direction of Dr. Steven Blair of the University of South Carolina (formerly of the Cooper Clinic) shows that people who are overweight or obese but fit, have a lower mortality risk than those of normal weight but low fitness levels. The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

According to this study, those in the lowest fifth in terms of fitness had a death rate four times higher than participants ranked in the top fifth for fitness. Dr. Blair states, “Being fit provides protection against mortality in these men and women 60 and older, whether they’re normal weight, overweight, or obese.” In another study by Lee, Blair, and Jackson several years ago, 21,925 men of all shapes and sizes were assessed and monitored for eight years. The study concluded that men, who were fit and fat, actually had a lower mortality rate than men who were normal weight but unfit and sedentary. One of the authors of this study is clinically obese. However, he runs 35 miles per week. So the key here is “fit”, and not necessarily thin.

Many times, people who are overweight decide not to exercise because weight loss is too great a challenge for them. Their mistake is that they don’t realize that exercise in and of itself, is beneficial for both physical and mental health. The health benefits from a daily 30-minute walk (even if broken up into 2 or 3 segments); let alone a more balanced and intense exercise, range from lowering blood pressure and cholesterol to reducing stress levels. Even a moderate effort makes a big difference. We know that people with knee arthritis have reduced their pain and disability by about 47% if they exercise. Exercise reduces the progression of dementia and Alzheimer’s by about 50%. It reduces the progression of type 2 diabetes by 58% and in post menopausal women; there is a 41% reduction in the risk of hip fractures. It reduces anxiety and depression by 48% or even more with intense exercise. It is the number one treatment for fatigue and naturally, when you put all of this together, there is a tremendous increase in quality of life. In Dr. Blair’s study, the bottom fifth in fitness was twice as likely to die as the fifth right above them.

Is time a problem for you? Well, think of it this way: you have 23.5 hours every day to sleep, eat, work, learn, and tend to your family needs and for being social. So if you can just put aside 30 minutes—one half hour—everyday, your life will improve in every single aspect tremendously.

Be sure you are including all aspects of exercise—aerobic, resistance training and flexibility in your routine. And remember, most of the great results from walking and other exercise occur from just a 30-35 minutes daily moderate walk. YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO A TRIATHALON TO GET THE BENEFITS. Including fruits, vegetables and whole grains in your diet is essential for good health together with your fitness regimen. Maintaining a normal weight is important, but even if that is difficult for you, exercise should be part of your daily life. It improves your quality of life and possibly extends your longevity because exercise will “add hours to your day, days to your year, and years to your life.”

Alan Freishtat is an A.C.E. CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER and a LIFESTYLE FITNESS COACH with over 16 years of professional experience. He is the co-director of the Jerusalem-based weight loss and stress reduction center Lose It! along with Linda Holtz M.Sc. and is available for private consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs. Alan also lectures and gives seminars and workshops. He can be reached at 02-651-8502 or 050-555-7175, or by email at alan@loseit.co.il

Check out the Lose It! web site – www.loseit.co.il

Water, although we take it for granted, is one of the 6 classes of nutrients that we must ingest on a daily basis. 60 to 70% of our body is composed of water. Without it, the constant and necessary chemical reactions that occur all the time in the body can’t take place. Constant consumption is essential, as we cannot conserve or store water in our body. Yet, most of us probably get about 1/3 of the valuable hydration benefits we need.

Water comprises over 70% of solid body tissue and helps regulate body temperature, carry nutrients and oxygen to cells, remove waste, cushion joints, and protect organs and tissues. Insufficient water consumption leads to headaches, grogginess and dry, itchy skin. Severe dehydration affects blood pressure, circulation, digestion, kidney function, and nearly all body processes. A healthy body maintains proper hydration by balancing fluid intake and output. You normally lose about 2 ½ quarts (10 cups) of fluid daily through perspiration, urination, respiration and bowel movements. This amount needs to be replenished daily.

The question is: how much, and what beverages, should we drink? It is prudent to consume a minimum of 8-10 cups of fluid per day. This is in addition to the water you get through eating solid foods. For instance, a baked potato with skin is about 70% water. Eating fruits and soups is another way to ensure that you are staying hydrated. Water is certainly the best way to achieve this goal. Milk and juice are about 90% water, and also are good sources of fluid. It is important to note that caffeinated beverages not only don’t meet your fluid requirements, but because they act as a diuretic and expel fluid from the body, they can be harmful in terms of staying properly hydrated.

People who are exercising need to exhibit extreme caution in order to maintain a high level of hydration. According to the guidelines issued by the American Council on Exercise, one should drink 2 cups of water within an hour before exercising, consume 4-8 ounces of fluid every 10-15 minutes during the workout, and consume 2 cups of fluid for every .5 kilogram lost during exercise at the conclusion of the workout. One should never lose more than 2% of his body weight due to dehydration. This is dangerous and can affect your performance. Also, remember that we here in the Middle East live in a hot and sometimes very dry climate, and therefore need to be extremely careful to drink enough in the summer months.

How do you know if you are beginning to dehydrate? Don’t rely on the thirst reflex. If you are thirsty, you’ve already waited too long before drinking. Urine that is a dark, gold color indicates that you are not drinking nearly enough. One quick tip on maintaining good hydration: every time you are ready to eat one of your meals or snacks, drink 2 cups of water before and 2 cups after. This will ensure that you stay hydrated and healthy.

And water is heart-healthy. In a 6-year study of 34,000 people, men who drank 5or more glasses of water a day had 51% lower risk of hear attacks than those who drank 2 glasses or less. The study also found that men and women who drank more than 5 glasses per day had a 44% lower risk of fatal strokes.

Can I drink too much water? The answer is yes, but it’s highly unlikely in normal circumstances. Almost anyone who engages in exercise or sports has probably faced some degree of dehydration at one time or another. We’ve all know for a long time that drinking before, during and after exercise is a must, especially in the hot summer weather.

On the flip side, researchers have discovered that it is possible to drink too much water. Drinking too much may cause a condition called hyponatremia, or low sodium, which is a potentially dangerous condition. What are the signs of hyponatremia? Lower levels of sodium can lead to anything from a weird feeling, to nausea, vomiting or in extreme cases, even death. Today, the rule of thumb for athletes is to drink before your event, but to rely on your thirst sensation to water up as you go. For those of us who are doing short and medium workouts, hyponatremia is probably not a big concern. Nevertheless it is possible to overdo it on the water, so following the same advice of hydrating beforehand, and then drinking when thirsty along the way is the way to go. And always be sure to drink after an exercise session as well.

Drinking a sufficient amount of water is another way to “add hours to your day, days to your year and years to your life.”

Alan Freishtat is an A.C.E. CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER and a LIFESTYLE FITNESS COACH with over 16 years of professional experience. He is the co-director of the Jerusalem-based weight loss and stress reduction center Lose It! along with Linda Holtz M.Sc. and is available for private consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs. Alan also lectures and gives seminars and workshops. He can be reached at 02-651-8502 or 050-555-7175, or by email at alan@loseit.co.il

www.loseit.co.il

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