PETER'S PRINCIPLES - April 30 - May 4, 2007
Sherry from Troy noticed her local deli is selling hamburger loaded with cherries. She wants to know if its really healthier than plain ground meat.
Sherry, cherry burgers not only taste delicious, Michigan State University researchers discovered it makes burgers safer for grilling.
Researchers found adding tart cherries increase the anti-oxidants in meat.
It not only makes it taste better but suppresses the amount of cancer forming gases produced when grilling by as much as 90 percent.
Mike from Oak Park wants the lowdown on what a a good strength training program really means.
Mike, it's time to separate fact from fiction!
One strength training myth: It's only for the young... seniors will injure themselves. The fact is older people need strength training even more than the young! It counteracts the debilitating effects of aging.
Myth two: Strength training is only for men. The fact is women benefit even more than men because working out helps prevent osteoporosis!
Another common myth is that strength training is time consuming -- not true -- you can perform the exercises with three twenty-minute workouts per week!
Just think, an hour a week to get an hourglass figure! That's a pretty good deal!
Bill from Canton is in his 60s and wants to know the importance of a good walking regimen.
Bill, how about being able to cut your risk of heart disease in half!
Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death for older americans.
New research shows that men aged 71 to 93 who walk at least one and a half miles per day cut them risk of heart attack by 50 percent! The good news doesn't end there!
For every additional half mile walked the risk of heart disease decreases an additional 15 percent. Don't wait to get started...research shows the benefits extend to younger men and women as well.
So lace up your walking shoes for a brisk -- and healthy -- walk into your golden years!
Karen from Westland wants to know if vegetables are healthier raw or cooked.
Karen, if battling cancer is your goal...Then fire up that stove!
New research show that cooking vegetables releases compounds -- known as carotonoids -- that are present in vegetables. Carotonoids are anti-oxidants that can be vital for fighting a wide array of diseases.
In fact when vegetables are raw you can only absorb about four percent of carotonoids. Your body absorbs twenty percent of the carotonoids in cooked veggies.
So the next time you're having a big meal, you may want to pay more attention to the steamed vegetables than the chicken!
Suzanne is a 47 year-old mother and wants to know why its so important she lifts weights, as she gets older.
Suzanne, the average person loses 1/2 percent of muscle mass every year after 30, so as you age it's important to buid muscle.
Strength training can prevent two common causes of disability frail muscles and brittle bones. It can even restore the strength and vitality a person had years prior.
While aerobic exercises are good for your heart and lungs, they generally don't work the upper body where more than half your muscles are located.
The National Institute of Aging reports people who have low hand-grip strength are more likely to develop trouble walking and more than twice as likely to become disabled than those with high hand grip strength.
So Suzanne, with weight training life does get better after 40!
Do you have a question you've been working on? Send me an email!
