Overweight Kids are at a Higher Risk of Developing Heart Disease

This may or may not seem like common sense, but it's important none the less. If a child is overweight they are automatically at a higher risk of developing heart disease.

Did you know that the children that are born today have a lower life expectancy than their parents?

I'll let that sink in. You can read more of this story when you get a chance.

Can you be fat and fit?

This is something that I am a big believer in......you don't have to have a perfect shape to be in good health. It turns out that if you have healthy habits, even if you are a little overweight, you cut your chance of dying in half. You don't have to be perfect. You just have to do healthy things and you will find yourself healthier with time.

Related Stories:
Being Fat is ok as Long as you are fit

Cardiovascular Fitness Outdoes BMI as a Mortality Predictor

Fit Beats Fat for a Longer Life

Whose fault is it if the kids don't like vegetables?

This is an interesting story that I am sure will have many people who will protest it's accuracy. Studies are showing that the foods that mothers eat when pregnancy or during breast feeding will determine what foods their child will develop a taste for later in life. If you are eating broccoli and brussel sprouts when the child is absorbing the nutrients, they will end up enjoying the same types of foods. I would really like to see this study done on twins to see just how accurate it really is. Read more

Houston is among the top Walk Friendly cities in the United States

It's interesting how we always hear that Houston was one of the fattest cities in the United States, but here is something a little easier to swallow. Houston was #21 on the most Pedestrian Friendly cities in the US.


METRO-AREA RANKINGSA Brookings Institution survey ranks the 30 biggest metropolitan areas according to the number of "walkable urban places" relative to the area's population:
1. Washington
2. Boston
3. San Francisco
4. Denver
5. Portland, Ore.
6. Seattle
7. Chicago
8. Miami
9. Pittsburgh
10. New York
11. San Diego
12. Los Angeles
13. Philadelphia
14. Atlanta
15. Baltimore
16. St. Louis
17. Minneapolis
18. Detroit
19. Columbus, Ohio
20. Las Vegas
21. Houston
22. San Antonio
23. Kansas City, Mo.
24. Orlando, Fla.
25. Dallas
26. Phoenix
27. Sacramento, Calif.
28. Cincinnati
29. Cleveland
30. Tampa, Fla.
— Associated Press


More Information

Pedometers will encourage you to walk further

Sometimes it amazes me that there are stories that state the obvious. Pedometers are designed to encourage you to walk more, and it turns out.......it's true. Two published articles explain a little more about it. The New York Times and the San Francisco Chronicle.

The stories state that they found that people walked an average of 2,000 steps more when they wear a pedometer than when they don't. It's basically about accountability and pedometers are a great way to keep yourself accountable. I have one that I wear every day and it's fun to see how you do. Take a look at the stories, and if you get a pedometer, I highly suggest the accusplit. It's been extremely reliable, sturdy, and doesn't fall off or move around a lot. If you are looking for a way to be more active, this is a great for you to get started.

Smoking Ban Decreases Heart Attacks!

There's a county in Indiana that banned smoking to see what kind of effect it would have on heart attacks in the area. In just a short 22 months, there were statistically lower amounts of heart attacks. It's a pretty interesting story. If you would like more information, here is the article.

Heart Disease is Increasing for Those Under 45

America, we need to wakeup! Do we not see the signs of an increase in deaths due to heart disease? It's amazing how we think we are "fixing" the problem of cardiovascular disease and diabetes by medicating people, but it doesn't seem to be working for some reason. It's very simple why it doesn't work. It's putting a band-aid on something that needs to be completely redone. We have to take personal responsibility for ourselves and start doing things that we know reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. Why aren't we promoting being physically active and eating proper foods? Genetics, obesity, and high cholesterol are the main reasons they say that 700,000 people die from heart disease in America every year. I'm sorry, but I feel that genetics are used as an excuse way too often for people. I know that genetics play a role, but most of the people that use genetics as an excuse, really have bad lifestyle habits that people that they learned from their parents. Heart disease is preventable. Heart disease is preventable. Did I mention that heart disease is preventable? It's not about overmedicating. It's about taking personal responsibility for our health and doing what we need to do to reverse our risk of developing the often fatal, heart disease.

I'm sorry, but there's no reason for me to sugar-coat the truth. If you care about your health, it is truly your responsibility to make sure you take care of it. I can tell you that if you take care of yourself, you can lower your chance of developing heart disease. I can even tell you what to do to take care of your health. The question is, what responsibility are you willing to take for your health?

The Meaning of Life

I have moments when I can't help but think about why I am here on this earth, and what my purpose really is. Some people never discover it. I thank God that He has directed me to knowing what my purpose in life is.

I see so many people that are hurting or dying and they sometimes don't see a way out. They really don't see any chance of changing their life, and that's where I have the opportunity to come in and help. I can't help everyone, and I realize that. I also know that it's not me that helps them, but the power of God that does it. I'm just merely there to be used by God. It's hard when you see some people who seem to have just given up on life. They have reached the end of their rope, and they don't see any hope. As long as there is breath within your body, there is hope. The greatest thing that can happen to an individual who is struggling is to realize that there really is hope for them. They need to know they are not alone, and that there is a path that can rescue them. It saddens me when I see people who are slowly killing their body. They either don't know, don't care, or have no clue how to be different than the way they are. There are so many lies floating around the Health and Fitness industry. It's absolutely horrible how many people are in it just to make a buck. But it's not just the people in my industry that are the problem. We have companies that make junk food and fast food and promote it like crazy while our kids are developing diabetes and high blood pressure. We have politicians that want to find the best way to line their pocket in the midst of laws that are passed or not passed that could save lives. We have drug companies that do nothing but promote medicating and doctors push the pills of the best compensating drug companies. But no matter what kind of corruption is out there, it still depends on the person to step and take responsibility for their own health. Learn what you are eating. Understand how lifestyle affects your kids.

If I am remembered for nothing else in life, I hope I impact people in a way that will change their view of their health and that they influence at least one other life as well. I believe lives can be changed. I believe more memories can be created as more people live longer. I believe more Christians can witness to and help more people the better they take care of themselves, and therefore live longer. Did you realize that some people never go to fast food restaurants? That's a shock to a lot of people. Can you imagine if everyone only visited the fast food restaurants 2 times a year? I live for the day that the fast food restaurants begin to hurt like the smoking industry now hurts. It would show that people are taking responsibility for their own health.

I don't like that the writers are having to strike in CA to get paid, but in a way I'm really glad it's happening. With shows going to re-runs. I really hope that more people begin to turn off their televisions and take care of their body. That would be great!

I want to make an impact on someone every day. I pray that the day that I die, that people will remember the things I have taught them, and that they have the oppotunity to do the things that I taught them.

The order of doing exercises. Is it important?

There are so many people that don't realize that the order in which you do physical activity makes a big difference on the success (or lack thereof) of your results. Take for instant something like posture deviations in our body, which occur over time causing/resulting from incorrect movement patterns. So I always suggest people start with a foam roller, followed up by stretching, some basic corrective exercises, and then a warmup. This is so important because if you start warming up before you have stretched the proper muscles, it could cause you to use the wrong muscles the entire workout, thus limiting your desired results.

To make this more simple....let's say you are doing a normal workout and have a desire to tone up and lose weight. The best solution is to begin with a simple warmup, followed up by your strength training. Begin with the large muscle groups and work down to the smaller muscle groups. Follow that up with your cardio and use that to focus on your fat burning. Taking it out of order can make it harder to see your results over time.

I'll try to do an article on this on katyfitness.com in the near future.

NYC's Calorie Rule

NYC has an amazing plan, in my opinion. They just set up restaurants to post the number of calories in their meals so that everyone can see what they are going to be ingesting before they ingest it. Take a look at the article from the NY Times.

If you would like to learn more about calories, take a glance at the article on KatyFitness.com

KatyFitness.com

Well I've been working on my website KatyFitness.com and it's been a challenge. I have so many things that I am working on, and writing for my blog, my website, Katy Magazine, and various other projects has been tough. I will find a balance one day though.

I am hoping to start working on a book soon. For those that know me, you know how long I have been talking about that now. It's one of those things that I know is important, but it seems like there are a lot of things that I am working on that are important. Prioritizing can be tough sometimes.

I work really well when I have requests though. If there is something you would like to see or learn more about, let me know. I'd love to see what everyone is looking for and meet that need.

This is all for now. Stay tuned and I hope to post again sooner than I have in the past.

Soft Drinks May Seriously Harm Your Health

Caution: Some soft drinks may seriously harm your health
Expert links additive to cell damage
By Martin Hickman, Consumer Affairs Correspondent
Published: 27 May 2007

A new health scare erupted over soft drinks last night amid evidence they may cause serious cell damage. Research from a British university suggests a common preservative found in drinks such as Fanta and Pepsi Max has the ability to switch off vital parts of DNA.

The problem - more usually associated with ageing and alcohol abuse - can eventually lead to cirrhosis of the liver and degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's.

The findings could have serious consequences for the hundreds of millions of people worldwide who consume fizzy drinks. They will also intensify the controversy about food additives, which have been linked to hyperactivity in children.

Concerns centre on the safety of E211, known as sodium benzoate, a preservative used for decades by the £74bn global carbonated drinks industry. Sodium benzoate derives from benzoic acid. It occurs naturally in berries, but is used in large quantities to prevent mould in soft drinks such as Sprite, Oasis and Dr Pepper. It is also added to pickles and sauces.Sodium benzoate has already been the subject of concern about cancer because when mixed with the additive vitamin C in soft drinks, it causes benzene, a carcinogenic substance. A Food Standards Agency survey of benzene in drinks last year found high levels in four brands which were removed from sale.

Now, an expert in ageing at Sheffield University, who has been working on sodium benzoate since publishing a research paper in 1999, has decided to speak out about another danger. Professor Peter Piper, a professor of molecular biology and biotechnology, tested the impact of sodium benzoate on living yeast cells in his laboratory. What he found alarmed him: the benzoate was damaging an important area of DNA in the "power station" of cells known as the mitochondria.

He told The Independent on Sunday: "These chemicals have the ability to cause severe damage to DNA in the mitochondria to the point that they totally inactivate it: they knock it out altogether.

"The mitochondria consumes the oxygen to give you energy and if you damage it - as happens in a number if diseased states - then the cell starts to malfunction very seriously. And there is a whole array of diseases that are now being tied to damage to this DNA - Parkinson's and quite a lot of neuro-degenerative diseases, but above all the whole process of ageing.

"The Food Standards Agency (FSA) backs the use of sodium benzoate in the UK and it has been approved by the European Union but last night, MPs called for it to investigate urgently.

Norman Baker, the Liberal Democrat chair of Parliament's all-party environment group said: "Many additives are relatively new and their long-term impact cannot be certain. This preservative clearly needs to be investigated further by the FSA."

A review of sodium benzoate by the World Health Organisation in 2000 concluded that it was safe, but it noted that the available science supporting its safety was "limited".

Professor Piper, whose work has been funded by a government research council, said tests conducted by the US Food and Drug Administration were out of date.

"The food industry will say these compounds have been tested and they are complete safe," he said. "By the criteria of modern safety testing, the safety tests were inadequate. Like all things, safety testing moves forward and you can conduct a much more rigorous safety test than you could 50 years ago."

He advised parents to think carefully about buying drinks with preservatives until the quantities in products were proved safe by new tests. "

My concern is for children who are drinking large amounts," he said.

Coca-Cola and Britvic's Pepsi Max and Diet Pepsi all contain sodium benzoate. Their makers and the British Soft Drinks Association said they entrusted the safety of additives to the Government.

The Facts About Weight Loss Products and Programs

I've recently started a mission. I want to find the best way to lose weight and keep it off. Now I know the basics, "Those who eat healthier and incorporate strength training and cardiovascular exercise into their normal routine, have the best long term results." I know this, and you may know this, but there's something missing. I can't completely put my finger on it, but I know there is more to it. I know there is a psychological/behavioral aspect as well. I am determined to find what it's going to take to really help people lose weight. I mean serious, long lasting weight loss that really affects other people's lives. So if you read this, give me feedback. What is it that makes the big difference? Where's the lightbulb? I'm ready to see some lives changed. I'm tired of some people being successful, and others not. I want a 90% or higher success rate in people achieving their goals and their lives.

I want to attach a very good article from the FDA about weight loss products and programs, and the warning signs to look for. I never knew the FDA evaluated this. Take a look. It's a great read!

Excellence

I received a fascinating e-mail the other day, and I can't get it out of my head. This isn't my typical post, so I apologize for those who are reading it and expecting some amazing fitness/diet information. I have a really good story I want to share with you about that, but not tonight. This is more of a post for other personal trainers who happen to run across my blog.

There are a lot of personal trainers that struggle to have clients to personal train. It's just like any other business out there. Trainers have bills to pay and so they are always in search of someone they can personal train. Trainers should be about more than just making money, and that's kind of the topic of this e-mail I received. Here's the quoted e-mail:

________________________________________

Typically, I spend most of my time talking to you about marketing, sales or systems - all those things that most fitness pros associate with growing their business and making more money. But I was listening to Dax Moy's Magic Hundred Audios the other day (for about the 100th time :)) and came across the section where he discussed people feeling that they deseved more. Yet, the word 'deserve' is derived from the from Latin d-serv-re - to serve zealously.
And only when Dax really embraced serving others at an even higher level than he ever had before, did his business really start to thrive.
What Dax was saying really struck a cord with me. We talk about serving our clients and getting them results - and often we do a very good job.
But we could do even better.
If you are truly extraordinary at what you do - the need to market decreases. People will seek you out.
See any ads for Rolls Royces lately?
Does this mean that you shouldn't market?
Of course not. You should market. You need to market.
But more importantly - you need to deliver EXTRAORDINARY service.
In our business that means alot of things, but it starts with being a great trainer. It starts with designing programs that always deliver on the promises that you make in your marketing. It starts with delivering results to your clients.
It's simple really: If you feel that you deserve more - deliver more service.
Help others get what they want. In turn, you'll get what you want.

________________________________________

I found that really fascinating. I truly try my best everyday to serve not just the people, like he mentioned in his article, but also to serve God in what I do. If you are in the personal training business just to make money, I will gladly suggest another field out there where you can make much more money without as much work. I don't want anyone to personal train someone who is truly struggling with something that is so personal and emotional as weight loss. If you can't care about the person in front of you, please go find another profession. It's only fair to the client and to you. Personal trainers, while not as critical to people as surgeons or doctors, can change someone's life in a positive or negative way. If you do the right thing, that person could have years added to their life and affect others along the way too, but when you treat a client the wrong way, it could be very detrimental. So if you got in this profession because you care about people, but suddenly became stressed about paying the bills, that's ok. It happens to everyone. But get back to serving the people like they deserve to be treated, and you will be able to pay your bills again.

For more information on personal training in the Katy, TX area, visit us at Medical Fitness Pros.

Workouts Delivered to Your E-mail Address

There are a lot of people around Katy that have great ambitions and strive to workout to get results, but all too often I watch people workout using incorrect form. I've been thinking a lot about the project I'm working on to help people get in better shape and how I can help do my part. I thought I would start by creating workouts that I could send to people that have safe, effective exercises that could easily be done at home. I don't have a real easy way of doing it, but I will put together pictures, descriptions, and videos that you can view anywhere you have internet access.
View an Example.
I'll e-mail new workouts to you monthly, and provide some fitness tips to you, as well as alert you about health and wellness events going on around Katy that particular month. If there is anything else I can provide to you, let me know and I'll do my best to include it.

Just add your e-mail address to the Katy Fitness Newsletter box, and I'll send you an at-home workout that you can do in your own living room.

How Serious is CVD?

I just finished watching the movie Amazing Grace and was blown away with the severity of the slave trade. I always knew it was a horrible time in the world, but I never understood how bad it was. The bad thing is that I know it is just a glimpse of the big picture of it all. I was amazed that more slaves died during the slave trade than actually made it to their destination. In fact it is estimated that during the peak of the slave trade (the 18th century) the death toll was probably around 8.1 million people. That's 80,000 per year, or 219 humans per day that died, needlessly. I started thinking about this and ran home to look up all of these statisticis. I love numbers, but the numbers I am sharing with you are just scary. I am so wrapped up in Cardiovascular Disease prevention at this time in my life, that I couldn't help but compare the severity of the slave trade to CVD. The slave trade was a horrible time in mankind, that forever leaves a stain, but what is today like for us? In recent years, approximately 105,560 African Americans will die from Cardiovascular Disease each year. That's 289 African Americans per day that died, needlessly. Most of the deaths of Cardiovascular Disease are preventable. PREVENTABLE! An average of 70 more African Americans die here in the United States each day from CVD, than from the disgusting slave trade that was rampant all over the world years ago. Does that make you think about it at all?

For me, all of this started with this post. More people are overweight in this world than starving. How is that possible? I sat down and and wrote a mission statement for myself and my surroundings. I couldn't let that continue to happen around me. Shortly thereafter I ended up being connected to Lois Grant from the Texas Dept. of Health who explained to me about various programs the department has. I decided I wanted to fight cardiovascualr disease in Katy. If you don't know much about Cardiovascular Disease, take a look at this video on PBS.org entitled Take One Step. It's such an important thing to focus on, and it is something that is so often overlooked. So my goal is to gather up various health and medical professionals and do something about it. I can't sit around and let people die when we know how to save their lives. Join me in this fight. Changing the world would be great, but let's start with our neighbors and loved ones. Let's make Katy a healthier place.

Katy Health and Wellness Meeting

I had a great time meeting everyone who was able to attend the meeting. Thank you again so much for coming. It was truly an honor to meet each of you.

If someone passed this along to you, please let me know if you have any questions. I hope to meet more of you at the next meeting on Thursday, April 5th at 7:00 PM in the Education Center.

Restaurants Promote Extreme Eating

Most of us would agree that restaurants serve huge portions to us. I think we accept it as the American way. But I really don't think we understand how bad it is in some situations. I'm guilty of that too. Not following me, are you? Ok, take a look at this. Here is the Chipotle Calculator. I like Chipotle. And it seems pretty healthy. Why don't you see how many calories your order usually is. I ended up with 1,260 calories on my usual order. I haven't been back since I found this little tool. It kind of ruined it for me. There was an article I just read that talks about some items on menus that people are upset about. There's some restaurants that have menu items that are over 2,000 calories by themselves. That's a whole day's worth of caloric intake for a lot of people. Here in Houston, there's a dessert at the Cheesecake Factory that has 1,380 calories. And I thought my burrito was bad.

In related news, the restaurant that created the 15 pound burger a while back, recently created a 123 pound burger for sale at their restaurant. They are hoping to break the world record to 2 other restaurants that have 105 pound burgers. Read more about it. Is anyone else disgusted, or is it just me?

"Leigey said he didn't know how many calories were stuffed into his latest gigantic entree.
"If you were worried about calories you would be at home eating Kellogg's," he said."

Common painkillers raise heart risk

A recent Reuters story announces that Common Painkillers Raise Heart Risk. It appears that the painkillers aspirin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen when taken by men most days of the week, were about 1/3 more likely to have high blood pressure than those who did not. Please take the time to read the entire article before you stop taking these medications. If you are suppose to take them, keep taking them. But maybe try to find a way to get to the point where you don't need them all of the time. The moral of this is, the less medicine you have to take, the better off you will be. But again, if you have to take it, don't stop just because of this.

Take One Step

PBS recently launched a website based off a recent documentary entitled, Take One Step. It talks exclusively about Cardiovascular Disease (CVD), the history, the causes, the warning signs, and how to prevent it. More of us will diet from CVD this year than from anything else. This isn't just men either. Did you realize that more women die from CVD than from 10 types of cancers combined. You are a lot less likely to die from Breast Cancer than you are from CVD. What baffles me is that CVD is preventable. Let me say that again, CVD is PREVENTABLE. Watch your cholesterol, don't smoke, keep your blood pressure low, eat healthy fruits and vegetables, and be active.

We, as Americans, have gotten lazy about so many things. We expect everything to be delivered to us on a platter. I'm just as guilty about this at times. We don't want to take the time to eat right, or exercise, or mow our own yard, or even read our own Bible. We truly are a spoon fed society. If it doesn't involve someone else doing it for us, we often don't do it. I don't know why we've become this, but it has to change. Go visit this website and watch the videos of the show (you don't even have to read it if you don't want to). Take measures to protect your and your family's health. Life is short. You don't have to make it shorter because of a few foolish decisions. Take care of yourself....you'll be glad you did.