If you live in Canada you might be familiar with the Comedy Show This Hour Has 22 Minutes. The title references the fact that 30 minute TV shows are actually 22 minutes with 8 minutes of commercials. It is a little truth in advertising. Last week the World Health Organization (WHO) came out with guidelines for activity to offset sedentary …
Why Muscle Matters
Muscle plays a crucial role in our ability to age well, stay fit, and keep active. Muscle is key to maintaining our speed, coordination and balance. More muscle reduces our risk of diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Muscle accounts for at least 50% of our body weight and yet when we restrict calories muscle loss is increased. More muscle means …
Proper Care & Feeding of Your Muscle
Over the last month I have talked about the importance of muscle mass for health, longevity and to prevent disease. Use it or lose it To grow new muscle, or maintain what you have now, you need to exercise and that does mean regular strength training. But what about nutrition? That could be the most common (and misunderstood) question when …
More Muscle Makes your Heart Healthier
Physical fitness is one of the best predictors of future health. Not only aerobic fitness but muscle mass too. Especially when it comes to heart health. In a recent study of men over the age of 45, more muscle reduced their risk of developing heart disease by 81%. Muscle mass reduces inflammation, improves blood sugar control and having more muscle …
Satellite cells may be the fountain of youth
One more great reason to maintain your muscles. Satellite cells don’t get a lot of press. You might not even know what they are, but researchers at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute have shown how activating satellite cells through exercise improves health and longevity. Exercise keeps muscles active which maintains satellite cells. Active satellite cells maintain our muscles. It is …
More muscle matters
It has been more difficult to maintain muscle this year. With the closure of gyms and many people confined to their homes for prolonged stretches, it can be harder to stay fit. It is challenging, not impossible. It is also very important. New research from the sports scientists at Edith Cowen University in Australia emphasizes the importance of exercise and …
Do you suffer from chronic health?
If you do, congratulations! You are a member of a very exclusive group. I spent last weekend at the (virtual) American College of Lifestyle Medicine’s (ACLM) annual conference and one of the speakers asked the following question, Why do we talk about chronic disease and not chronic health? Dr. David Katz, past President ACLM Good question Would it make a …
Old or young, eat well to live longer
There is a common misconception that when you are young you can get away with unhealthy habits and as you age you need to be more careful. While the consequences of your bad habits are not immediate, they still change your future health, regardless of your age. Younger adults may eat more fast food because it is cheap and easy, …
Over 50? An orange a day keeps the doctor away
An orange a day could keep the doctor away in the most unusual way. For most people eating an orange would seem like a healthy snack and a good way to get a dose of Vitamin C. Both of those are true, but the benefits may also include keeping more of your muscle mass longer. Having more muscle mass is …
3 Ways to Improve Longevity
Most people want to extend their lifespan, but shouldn’t we think about extending our healthspan first? Healthspan, according to Merriam-Webster, is the length of time that you are healthy—not just alive. Extending our healthspan means compressing our worst health into the shortest and latest possible time in our lifespan. Spending most of our time able to enjoy what we love and less …