Featured Topic: Athletic Pain (4 slides)
Most common athletic pain Muscle pain. To improve fitness, muscles need to be stressed Too much stress, too quickly, temporarily damages muscle fibers Inflammation Increased free radical activity Muscle spasms PAIN DOMS delayed onset muscle soreness is the medical term for aching muscles after exercise Pain usually peaks 24 48 hours after exercise Elite athlete or weekend warrior, everyone experiences DOMS
Enzymes for Exercise Induced Muscle Pain Bromelain reduced damage to muscle fibers during exercise (animal study) Reduced inflammatory leukocytes after exercise (used with papain) Increased muscle power (used with papain) Pancreatin (amylase, lipase and protease) Increased recovery time and decreased muscle soreness after exercise (used with bromelain and other enzymes) Pancreatin from animal source preferred
Combine enzymes with Curcumin Double-blind, randomized, crossover study of 17 male athletes tested after heavy exercise 20% - 30% reduction in DOMS pain and inflammatory markers, along with an increase in muscle strength at 24 and 48 hours post-exercise Boswellia boswellia extract (from B. sacra) was more effective at reducing pain than standard doses of aspirin (animal model) DLPA Increases levels of endorphins, the body s natural pain relievers
For more serious athletic injuries WebMD reports the most common sports injuries as Ankle sprains Groin pulls Hamstring strains Shin splints Knee injuries (including ACL tears) Tennis elbow For tendon and ligament injuries, also use: boswellia with manganese, vitamins C, B6 and B12, niacinamide, magnesium, zinc and bromelain
What s in your diet? (1 slide)
Do consumers really want clean food? A Consumer Reports survey found that 60% of consumers say they look for natural or locally grown foods However, a new study published this month finds that about 30% of calories Americans eat are from unprocessed or minimally processed foods, such as whole fruits and vegetables, grains, legumes and meats 70% of calories are from processed foods 57% from ultra-processed foods: packaged snacks, packaged baked goods, instant noodles and processed meat 10% from processed foods: canned food and simple breads and cheeses 3% from processed cooking ingredients: table sugar, oils, salt and extracts The study also found that 90% of the average daily intake of sugar comes from ultra-processed foods The researchers conclude: The most effective way to decrease sugar intake it to limit the consumption of ultra processed foods.
Late Flu Season (1 slide)
The flu is late this year Influenza cases usually peak between December and February This year s peak is predicted for mid-march The number of Americans visiting doctors because of flu symptoms has been rising steadily for the past 2 months Remember the flu is a VIRUS so antibiotics don t help What does: elderberry, essential oils like oregano, garlic, and vitamin D
Liver Protective Antioxidants (1 slide)
Prevention of tamoxifen-induced liver damage Tamoxifen is a anti-estrogen chemotherapy drug used in the treatment of breast cancer Tamoxifen use has been linked to the development of fatty liver disease in women with breast cancer Researchers looked at the ability of plant antioxidants to protect the liver from adverse effects of tamoxifen Female rats were given tamoxifen alone, or in combination with grape seed, black seed, curcumin or silymarin In the group getting tamoxifen alone, free radical activity increased, and protective antioxidants (including glutathione) and liver enzymes decreased, plus liver damage occurred The groups getting tamoxifen PLUS an herbal extract were protected against antioxidant depletion and the tamoxifen PLUS curcumin group had no liver damage either
Brown Fat is Better Fat (1 slide)
What color is your fat? Our bodies have more than one kind of fat White fat is for energy storage Most abundant type of fat in the body Also releases hormones that control metabolism Excess white fat in women builds up on hips, thighs, and rears while male excess fat gathers in the belly Brown fat is for energy burning When activated, brown fat burns white fat Brown fat is less abundant in the body than white fat A 150 lb person might have 20 lbs of fat, but only 2-3 ounces will be brown fat
Why is brown fat better? Brown fat burns calories 2 ounces of brown fat at maximum stimulation burns 300 500 calories a day This is enough to lose a pound a week Brown fat increases your metabolic set point As we age, we typically add 10 lbs of weight per decade increasing brown fat activity can help us maintain the weight and body fat we had as young adults Brown fat prevents diabetes People with low blood sugar levels have more brown fat Brown fat takes up glucose when brown fat activity increases, blood sugar levels decrease
How to get more brown fat Exercise Animal studies have found that physical activity triggers release of an enzyme that turns white fat to brown fat Sleep The hormone melatonin is secreted while we sleep Melatonin activates brown fat Turn down the thermostat Sitting in a 59 degree room for two hours wearing summer clothes stimulates brown fat to burn an extra 100 250 calories One study found that brown fat was almost undetectable in people who never experienced cold