I don’t have much time to post today, but I wanted to direct you to two news articles I found while browsing at lunch, which by the way consisted of tuna, Sun Chips, and diet Nestea. Good times.
There are just a couple quick news pieces about the wonders of popcorn and the increasing danger of swine flu.
 Food Addiction |
Scientists and drug companies are still hard at work searching for a magic weight loss pill. So far they have had about as much success as a one legged man in an ass-kicking contest, but they have made some headway.
A product called Contrave has been introduced by Orexigen Therapeutics Inc. as the best and brightest future star of new prescription weight loss products.
Contrave is the first weight loss drug to combine an anti-depression and smoking cessation drug called bupropion with naltrexone, which is prescribed to fight alcohol and opiate addiction.
Sorry for the absence everyone, I spent two days in the hospital thanks to over-thin blood. My kidney swelled up and stopped working, and I had blood in the urine for a couple days. Fun stuff, right? Sorry if it’s TMI, but it’s my reality.
You guys are still eating too many french fries!
 Obesity |
In the past year adult obesity rates have continued to climb. Two advocacy groups said on Wednesday, 23 US states reported that their citizens are fatter now than they were a year ago. In fact, two-thirds of American adults are either overweight or obese.
No states reported a decrease in obesity.
Executive director of Trust for America’s Health, Jeff Levi reportedly said, “Our health care costs have grown along with our waist lines,” as part of a warning that the US obesity epidemic could interfere with efforts by lawmakers to reform the nation’s health system.
Insulin can be a touchy subject when it comes to fat loss, muscle growth, and weight training. It is extremely important that we understand the role of insulin in the body and how the foods we eat affect our health and physiques.
First, we must define what insulin is:
Insulin in a peptide hormone composed of 51 amino acid residues, which is produced by the beta cells of the pancreas and released when any of the several stimuli is detected. These stimuli include ingested protein and glucose in the blood, produced from digested food. Insulin has expansive effects on metabolism and other bodily systems.
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Let us look at what insulin does when it is present in the body.
When present, insulin causes the uptake of blood sugar (glucose) by the vast majority of bodily cells. These cells include muscle, fatty tissue, and liver cells.
Insulin is primarily responsible for storing glucose as glycogen in the liver and muscles. When insulin is at high concentrations in the body, it prevents the use of fat as an energy source.
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Millions of Americans suffer from pain every day, and one of the more common reasons is due to the affects of joint and tissue inflammation.
 Muscle Pain |
For years people have turned to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for relief. Of course Project Swole readers already know that NSAIDs Are Pain, Brain, and Muscle Growth Killers.
The good news is that there is a new hypothesis to consider on how to combat the pain and discomforts associated with inflammation.
By attacking the inflammatory cascade at the start (in the mitochondria) as opposed to inhibiting the COX pathways (as is the mode of action of many NSAIDs), a safe, non-toxic, and natural pain reliever called StayActiv is able to prevent the cascade of cellular inflammatory events up front, and it also avoids the many negative and dangerous kidney, liver, and gastro-intestinal side effects related to NSAIDs.
We all need to take a second to examine the most frequently injured area of the shoulders: the rotator cuff. The muscles that make up the rotator cuff are small and can be strained easily.
The four small muscles that make up the rotator cuff:
 Gotta Have Strong Shoulders |
Each of these smaller muscles can easily be strained, pulled, or even sometimes overtrained. So important are each of the muscles of the rotator cuff, that once one muscle is damaged the whole cuff is thrown into disarray, often requiring rehab.
No, I’m not talking about the ephedra laced Hydroxycut that actually works, I’m talking about the ephedra-free Hydroxycut products that are supposed to be safe. Yeah, not so safe.
 Hydroxycut |
Hydroxycut products are marketed as inexpensive, energy-enhancing fat-burners. They do work to some extent. Hydroxycut will definitely increase your energy, but at what cost to your body?
The current Swine Flu fears are both justified and overrated.
The fears are justified because of the 7-8% death rate in Mexico of a contagious disease, for which we currently have no direct vaccine.
The fears are overrated because that death rate seems only to apply to Mexico, and the virus itself does not seem to be replicating uncontrollably throughout the world.
Currently, the status of the disease warrants Mexican quarantine, worldwide concern, but not yet worldwide panic.
Hopefully, this document will allay some of your fears and answer some of your questions about Swine Flu.
(more…) Neck Pain |
You lifted really heavy yesterday, you took your post workout amino acids and fish oil, but you are still really sore.
How do you treat the pain?
One possible answer is that you might toss back some NSAIDs like aspirin, naproxen, or ibuprofen. Unfortunately we are now finding out that NSAIDs might not be the best choice when it comes to dementia or muscle growth.
This post might change your mind about popping aspirin after a particularly grueling workout.
 Mom and Daughter |
I found this article today about a woman who started dieting and went under the knife in an attempt to look more like her daughter.
Fifty year old Janet Cunliffe started dieting and spent tens of thousands of dollars to look more like her 28 year old daughter. Honestly if I looked like she did pre-surgery and had the resources to look like she does now, I would diet and get the surgery too. (If I were a chick.)
Self-image issues always come back to celebrities. The pressure by Hollywood and the media to look young, slender, sleek, and sexy.
I find this to be more disturbing for teenage girls who feel the pressure to be something other than who they are, although it is a bit different for a mature, experienced 50 year old Mom who just wants to turn back the clock.
 Black Doctor |
Different studies have been focusing on how racism has affected the health industry in the United States all over the years.
Will this term, under President Barack Obama pose positive changes, given that he is the first black president?
We have to remember American history to examine the trends of racism and how it affected the health industry of the United States.
The United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget, define race as self-identification of a person or group of persons as a result of physical characteristics, geographic location and ancestry. Race has been used interchangeably with ethnicity, which refers to a larger categorization which includes the language, diet, religion and political factors.
Finally I am starting to feel just slightly better after battling illness for well over a week. This is still just a short nonsense blog post, but I finally feel comfortable writing material again.
I did end up having to go to the doctor, who ended up prescribing me antibiotics. But I also wanted to mention that I picked up some generic Sudafed with Pseudoephedrine, and that really helped a lot with trying to deal with my stuffy sinus infection.
Don’t get the Pseudoephedrine-free version though, as I hear it doesn’t help that much. Instead, ask for the real deal at the pharmacy window. Most stores no longer stock the high Pseudoephedrine based Sudafed in the isles, instead they have it protected in the back room where the pharmacists are.
That is all I have to say for now, as I am exhausted and must get to bed.
I’m am still on my death bed, and my computer was down for 2 days, so I haven’t had time to write any good content for you guys. I will post something useful very soon though, even if I’m still sick.
I only have a few things to report:
 FitWire |
My first new project is almost complete. I call it FitWire and here is the latest draft of the logo. I can’t say anything else about it yet.
So, that’s it. I’m sick in the lungs and sinuses. Trying to rest and medicate, but it’s not working. Soon I’m sure I will go to the docs.
I have many great posts coming up shortly, so please don’t give up on me yet.
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Kids make me sick.
No, I don’t hate kids. They don’t disgust me. They just give me germs.
The reason I haven’t posted anything all week, is because I’ve been fighting a sinus infection and what we think might be bronchitis. The bronchitis seems to be getting better, but the sinus infection makes me feel like my head is going to blow up.
If you have a sinus infection, instead of getting on antibiotics, this is what you can do:
 Atlantic Cod |
Read on to discover why supplementing with fish oil is important for you, but even more so if you are diabetic.
Simply stated, Omega-3 consumption is directly linked to the reduction of triglycerides and therefore a decrease in risk for developing coronary heart disease.
Being that diabetics have an increased risk of heart disease from elevated levels of triglycerides, this is most important for those individuals, but is still important for the rest of us. Fortunately I am not diabetic yet, although I am annoyingly insulin resistant. Hopefully I will never develop type II diabetes.
::knocks on wood::
 Overeating |
Initially, you thought fat people eat so much food because it gives them pleasure. Well guess what? You were wrong! In fact just the opposite is true.
Dopamine, a substance that makes us feel good, is one of the best-known neural chemicals. Though it is often thought of primarily as a manufactured substance it is actually produced naturally in the body. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that activates dopamine receptors, which makes us feel a sense of euphoria.
 Evil Doctor |
Medical debt can blindside you when you least expect it. It could be as simple as a small injury that needs an x-ray and stitches, or perhaps an emergency appendectomy; it could also be as huge as a quadruple by-pass, or a hip replacement. Either way, you could be ahead financially one day, and $100k in debt the next.
The percentage of Americans that are struggling with medical debt has grown 3.5% per year since 2005. This is pathetic to me. The cost of medical procedures is extraordinary, and many health insurance plans don’t help much… if you can even get on an insurance plan at all.
I came upon this link in CNN yesterday morning that might help you, if you think you are in danger of falling deeply into medical debt. You should act on these tips as soon as you realize you owe. Five mistakes that will land you in medical debt.
All I managed was one very painful kickboxing workout this week. During that workout I basically couldn’t punch, kick, run, participate in calisthenics, or breathe. I knew something was wrong since two Fridays ago, but I couldn’t go to the hospital or to the doctor until my new insurance policy kicked in on August 4th.
So on the 4th I went to see my primary care physician for a routine physical and to diagnose my breathing issues. Given my history of clotting, he set me up with a CT Scan and some blood tests. After fighting with my health insurance for an hour or more, I finally was cleared to take the tests. Finally on the 5th (today) I made it in for my tests.
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A study conducted by the University Of Kansas School Of Medicine reveals that Alzheimer’s patients who exercise have larger brains than those who are out of shape.
Of the 121 people in the study, all were over 60 years of age, and 57% of them already had Alzheimer’s. The actual study itself involved fitness tests and brain scans. Each patient was evaluated using a treadmill to determine a level of physical fitness. Then each patient’s brain was scanned to determine a level of brain shrinkage.
