More On Lumbar Extension Exercises for Low Back Pain

Posted on February 14, 2013 | Comments Off on More On Lumbar Extension Exercises for Low Back Pain

Sean Preuss has another good blog post on chronic low back pain and the exercise that can improve it.   A quote:

…people with lower back pain become less active, which leads to a decreased range of motion, weaker muscles, and an increased risk of further injury. All of those results lead to even more pain, and then people respond by using their backs even less often, which continues the downward spiral of Deconditioning Syndrome.

I see that all the time.

Sean says that folks with surgically fused lumbar vertebrae shouldn’t do lumbar extensions.  Furthermore…

If you have lower back pain, you should see a physical therapist or other personal health professional to receive a diagnosis. After that, get his or her opinion on lumbar extension exercises and other potential treatments.

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Excessive Calcium Consumption May Increase Risk of Death In Women

Posted on February 14, 2013 | Comments Off on Excessive Calcium Consumption May Increase Risk of Death In Women

…according to an article at MedPageToday.  I remember a research report from a couple years ago noting this link between calcium and premature death, but it only applied to women not taking a vitamin D supplement.  It’s complicated.

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Both Alcohol Abstinence AND Heavy Consumption Are Linked to Dementia

Posted on February 12, 2013 | Comments Off on Both Alcohol Abstinence AND Heavy Consumption Are Linked to Dementia

…according to a study out of Finland.  Researchers looked at mid-life alcohol consumption and dementia signs and symptoms 20 years later.  I quote from DementiaToday.com: 

The study, conducted at the University of Turku, University of Helsinki and National Institute for Health and Welfare in Finland based on subjects from the Finnish Twin Cohort, shows that midlife alcohol consumption is related to the risk of dementia assessed some 20 years later. The study indicates that both abstainers and subjects consuming large amounts of alcohol have a greater risk for cognitive impairment than light drinkers.

Judicious alcohol consumption, primarily wine, is a component of the traditional Mediterranean diet that is probably protective of dementia.

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Physician Nutrition Death Match

Posted on February 12, 2013 | Comments Off on Physician Nutrition Death Match

I ran across some nutrition-advice videos of Dr Michael Greger six months ago and started following his twittering.  It didn’t take me long to figure out he favors a vegetarian or vegan diet.  Dr. Harriet Hall at Science-Based Medicine has Dr. Greger in her crosshairs, challenging many of his claims.  Well worth a read.  An excerpt: 

Vegans tell us the Inuit, who lived almost exclusively on food of animal origin, had a short life span. That’s not true. Statistics on the Inuit between 1822 and 1836 showed that their average life expectancy was about the same as that of European peasants of the time who ate a diet overwhelmingly based on bread. 25% of Inuit lived past 60, and some lived into their 80s and 90s.

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Lower Divorce Risk If Husband and Wife Both Drink the Same Amount of Alcohol

Posted on February 11, 2013 | Comments Off on Lower Divorce Risk If Husband and Wife Both Drink the Same Amount of Alcohol

Wine is a traditional component of the healthy Mediterranean diet.  But you can over-do it.

From Mail Online…

A study of nearly 20,000 married couples revealed that husbands and wives who both consumed a moderate intake of alcohol were far less likely to divorce than couples where one was a heavy drinker.

Just 5.8 per cent of couples who were lighter drinkers ended up splitting up from their long-term partners, according to the study from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

When both husband and wife were heavy drinkers the divorce rate of the Norwegian couples was 17.2 per cent.

The highest divorce rate – 26.8 per cent – was in couples where the husband was a light-drinker while the wife went on binges.

However, it seems women are more forgiving, as when the roles were reversed the divorce rate halved to 13.1 per cent.

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Does Weight Watchers Work?

Posted on February 11, 2013 | Comments Off on Does Weight Watchers Work?

Melanie at Dietriffic has put lots of thought into the Weight Watchers weight-loss program.  Some excerpts from her recent review: 

As I’ve said in the past, while I agree Weight Watchers isn’t the worst diet plan out there (far from it!), I don’t believe they teach people enough about sustaining their weight loss long-term, which is probably why a lot of members find the pounds slipping back on, when they stop counting points.

And this…

Remember, it really doesn’t matter what diet plan you choose to follow, it won’t continue to work if you stop following it.

So, that means you need to find something you can do for life, and stick with it.

Read the rest.

 

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Does Strength Training Affect Aging?

Posted on February 11, 2013 | Comments Off on Does Strength Training Affect Aging?

Skyler Tanner is one of my favorite bloggers.  Watch his video for his answer.

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U.S. Birth Rate Hits Historic Low

U.S. Birth Rate Hits Historic Low

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Posted on February 11, 2013 in Uncategorized

Regular Exercise Linked to Lower Prostate Cancer Risk

Posted on February 11, 2013 | Comments Off on Regular Exercise Linked to Lower Prostate Cancer Risk

…according to an article in MedPageToday.  The association was not noted in black men, however.

In a prospective study, Caucasian men suspected of prostate cancer and scheduled for biopsy were less likely to have the disease if they were at least moderately active, according to Lionel Bañez, MD, of the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Durham N.C., and colleagues.

If they did have cancer, they were significantly less likely to have high-grade disease if they had been working out regularly, Bañez and colleagues reported online in Cancer.

Another way to reduce your risk of prostate cancer is to follow the Mediterranean diet.  Other cancers reduced by the Mediterranean diet are breast, colo-rectal, and uterus.

 

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Does Nutrition Help a Receding Hairline?

Posted on February 10, 2013 | Comments Off on Does Nutrition Help a Receding Hairline?

Nutrition Diva says…

“If your hair loss were due to a nutrient deficiency, getting more of those nutrients might help. Likewise, if extreme stress were causing your hair to fall out, the best solution would be to relieve the stress in your life. But chances are that the cause of your receding hairline is genetic—and there’s not too much you can do about your genes!”

Read the rest at Monica’s blog.

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