PETER'S PRINCIPLES - April 2 -
6, 2007
Rich from Southfield emails for me latest research on the link
between weight gain and cancer risk.
Rich, we all know that weight gain puts the heart at risk- but not
much research has been done linking obesity and cancer.
Now the largest study ever done shows a powerful link between
being overweight and a variety of cancers -- in fact nearly all of
them!
Researchers tracked a million men for years. They found that excess weight accounts for fourteen percent of cancer deaths in men-- and twenty percent in women! In the US that adds up to around ninety thousand extra cancer deaths per year! If you're overweight -- these numbers should scare you! Talk to a doctor or nutritionist about a proper diet-- before you become a statistic!
Carol from Detroit is recovering from breast cancer.
She emails for tips on making that recovery a healthy one.
Carol, new research shows that proper diet is vital to a full
recovery from the disease.
Researchers looked at women who worked out regularly before they were diagnosed -- then let their routines slide. The decrease was most noticeable in women who had surgery-- and chemotherapy.
The findings are important. They indicate a clear link between lack of activity -- weight gain -- and eventual breast cancer.
Researchers also find that if women were overweight or obese when diagnosed they doubled the chance of a recurrence. The research helps provide a stronger link between obesity and breast cancer.
Mike from Allen Park e-mails to ask if weight training has
other benefits beside just building muscle.
Mike, hitting those weights just might reduce your risk of
stroke!
Your blood pressure surges during periods of upper body activity like shoveling snow ... or even twisting off the cap of a stubborn jar!
Sustained weight training will dramatically decrease that blood pressure surge. Research shows that training with weights has benefits that are both physical and psychological, but it's not for everyone!
It should be avoided by those with unpredictable chest pain -- or out of control blood pressure.
For most, regular trips to the gym are the best way to avoid a trip to the emergency room!
Gail from Milford has been down recently with a cold.
She wants to know when its ok to resume her workouts.
Gail, in this case it really does pay to do a check up from the
neck up!
If symptoms are from the neck up-- like runny nose and sneezing-- a moderate workout should be all right.
If you have a more serious infection like the flu -- with fever aches and fatigue -- you could be over-taxing your immune system and that could put your health at serious risk! Regular exercise is a good way to keep from getting sick in the first place.
In fact, a recent study shows that those who get in a moderate workout are about twenty five percent less likely to come down with a cold!
In this case the gym, not an apple will really keep the doctor away!
Vince from Rochester Hills emails for exercise tips on beating
diabetes.
Vince, certain exercises help lower insulin resistance syndrome
and reduce your risk of diabetes and stroke!
The latest research shows that both aerobics and strength training are excellent for meeting these goals. Exercises that target large muscle groups in twenty minute sessions three times a week are most effective!
That kind of workout is also excellent for regulating blood sugar and reducing abdominal fat. At the same time you'll be boosting levels of HDL -- good cholesterol -- that cuts the risk of diabetes and the other health problems I've mentioned. Evidence now shows that strength training reduces insulin resistance.
Talk to your doctor and a personal trainer about the diabetes
management plan that's right for you!
Do you have a question you've been working on? Send me an email!
