All posts by Nikki Yeo

Diet & Nutrition, Documentary, Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs), Wellness

AFT’s must-watch videos on food as medicine

If exercise now can be prescribed as medicine, wouldn’t foods also be prescriptive? I’d like to share this list of must-watch videos that has helped my team and I at Asia Fitness Today in our search for interventions for non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, lung disease, dementia and many many more. This (re)search has taken me seven years ever since I lost my father to blood cancer or leukemia unexpectedly in 2015, and witnessed too many friends and clients fall ill with lifestyle diseases. As a fitness coach, I was determined to find a solution for myself and for my clients who wanted to lose weight, build muscle and be healthy. All this while, I was convinced that illness was brought about by sedentary lifestyles, but I soon realised that it was more than that. It wasn’t about how much we moved. Food was also a major factor in our health outcomes. I hope you will enjoy watching these videos and that it can bring about change in your life or for someone you know.

1. Reversing Type 2 diabetes starts with ignoring the guidelines

By Dr. Sarah Hallberg

AFT Ed: We write this article celebrating Dr. Sarah Hallberg’s life. A pioneer educator in metabolic disease, a Doctor of Osteopathy from Des Moines University as well as a Master’s and Bachelor’s of Science in Kinesiology and Exercise Science from Illinois State University, her twitter account profile reads, “Medical Director at Virta Health. Physician, all-patient advocate, researcher, mom and wife living with stage 4 cancer. Tweets are not ind medical advice.”

Dr. Sarah Hallberg gave this life-changing talk at TedxPurdueU on 5 May 2015 and this video has been viewed 8.6 million times to date, helping trigger countless interventions with messages flooding the comments section from people who have benefited from her talk around the world including us at Asia Fitness Today. May Dr. Sarah rest in peace. We thank her for her work.

Video Summary: This video has taught millions of people how food affects our bodies and our health, and many have followed the nutrition advice she gave.

“Obesity is a disease, not something created by lack of character. It is a hormonal disease. There are many hormones involved, and one of the main ones is a hormone called insulin. The vast majority of obese individuals are resistant to insulin and that causes a lot of trouble. So, what does being insulin-resistant mean? Insulin resistance is essentially ‘pre-pre-type 2 diabetes.’ Insulin’s job is to drive glucose or blood sugar into cells where it can be used. In a nutshell, when someone has insulin resistance, they are having trouble getting glucose where it needs to go, into the cells. It can’t all hang out in the blood after we eat, or we would all have a diabetic crisis after every meal. When there is resistance to insulin, our bodies will just make more of it. The insulin levels rise and rise and for a while, years usually, this will keep up and blood sugar will stay normal. However, eventually it can’t keep up, and even elevate insulin levels are not enough to keep blood sugar normal, and blood sugar rises. And that is diabetes”.

― Dr. Sarah Hallberg

2. [UNCUT] Interview with Jasmine Low on Kurang Manis (Sugar,Less), runner-up of the Motion Picture Association Int’l Script-to-Screen Competition.

By Jasmine Low

AFT Ed.: Asia Fitness Today cofounder, Jasmine Low goes on a quest to uncover what makes Malaysians tick, and why so many are on the verge of a lifestyle disease like herself (she’s diagnosed a pre-diabetic). Her mother is diagnosed with chronic kidney disease and her grandmother died from complications of kidney disease. Scientists she’s interviewed for The Kurang Manis (Sugar,Less) Podcast have given her hope that chronic diseases may be genetic but it’s more likely habit and with the right interventions, she can save herself from the same path of her mother and grandmother.

Video Summary: First time writer, producer and director Jasmine Low talks about how it feels to win the only runner-up prize awarded in the region for her documentary pitch at the “SCRIPT TO SCREEN” Film Competition organised by FINAS, Snapper Films and Motion Picture Association International in Feb 2019. “Kurang Manis (Sugar,Less)” is a 60-minute documentary that seeks to unravel the stories behind six ordinary Malaysians, their hopes, fears and dreams for New Malaysia a year after General Election #14, of which 82% turned up to vote and toppled. Also, what it feels like to be among one in two of the most obese population in Southeast Asia. Filming has been put on hold since 2020 and this has been converted into a podcast hosted by Jasmine Low and Nikki Yeo, cofounders of AsiaFitnessToday.com. Read the full interviews or listen to the The Kurang Manis (Sugar, Less) Podcast: https://www.asiafitnesstoday.com/kurang-manis or via Apple Podcast, Google Podcasts, Spotify and more.

3. I Quit Sugar: Your Complete 8-Week Detox Program and Cookbook

By Sarah Wilson

AFT Ed: At time stamp 14:00, Sarah Wilson tells about the time in 1955 when Eisenhower’s heart attack spurred the search for causes of heart disease. Biochemist Ancel Keys conducted a study and claimed that saturated fat was the major culprit of coronary attack. This sent the message that everyone should eat a low fat diet and it set forth the food pyramid. 70 years on, many in the industry are starting to question that study and his message. Sarah Wilson was formerly a journalist and opinion columnist, editor of Cosmopolitan Australia and host of Masterchef Australia before founding the largest wellness website in Australia. In February 2022, Sarah sold the business and gave all proceeds to charity. She now builds and enables charity projects that “engage humans with each other”. Learn more about Sarah here.

Video Summary: Sarah Wilson thought of herself as a relatively healthy eater. She didn’t realize how much sugar was hidden in her diet, or how much it was affecting her well-being. When she learned that her sugar consumption could be the source of a lifetime of mood swings, fluctuating weight, sleep problems, and thyroid disease, she knew she had to make a change. What started as an experiment to eliminate sugar–both the obvious and the hidden kinds–soon became a way of life, and now Sarah shows you how you can quit sugar too.

4. Intermittent Fasting: A Two-Month Experiment. Does It Work?

By Channel News Asia Talking Point

 

AFT Ed.: Channel News Asia’s Talking Point journalist Steve Chia looks into the intermittent fasting phenomena that’s been adopted by so many even across Asia Pacific. He tests this method out on himself! Talking Point investigates a current issue or event, offering different perspectives to local stories and revealing how it all affects you.

Video summary: After drinking sugar-laden bubble tea three times a week for a month for an earlier Talking Point episode, host Steve Chia is ready to lose the weight he gained and to improve his health. He goes on a two-month Intermittent Fast – eating his meals between 12pm and 8pm daily. As he tries to cope with skipping breakfast, he documents his fasting experience and finds out how fasting helps us to burn fat more effectively. He also discovers some of its potential pitfalls. Will Steve succeed in shedding the extra kilos he gained?

5. Food as Medicine Documentary

By Nutritional Therapy Association

AFT Ed.: We enjoyed this documentary and found it very enlightening listening to the interviews with North Americans who have transformed their own lives by looking for answers and finding that it was their diet that needed changing. We meet with academic and Professor of Medicine from the University of Iowa, Dr. Terry Wahls who speaks about how she dealt with a diagnosis of a chronic progressive neurological disorder and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. She says that she redesigned her diet with ‘functional medicine’ and within six months she started walking again.

“We’re clearly in a epidemic because the quality of our diets is definitely declining,”

Dr. Terry Wahls

“It’s hard to make dietary changes when you’ve been eating a poor diet your whole life. If nobody’s told you hey, this is actually putting you at an increased risk of disease. We’re not there to tell people that they’re doing something wrong or that it’s even their fault. We’re just providing the information and giving them with some guiding principles so that when they do make the changes, it can come from within,”.

Julie Briley ND, Food as Medicine Institute, National University of Natural Medicine

Video summary: Food As Medicine is a documentary film that follows the growing movement of using food to heal chronic illness and disease. Directed by Lenore E Eklund, Produced by Mark Eklund, Executive Producer: Nutritional Therapy Association.

6. Trendy foods: Salmon and avocados

By DW Documentary

https://youtu.be/mcYr040cLNc

AFT Ed: Two of the most popular foods in the Western diet are salmon and avocados. This documentary shows how salmon raised on fish-farms are treated with anti-biotics which can cause health problems. Avocado production on the other hand, uses a lot of water and raises a climate change eyebrow. Yet these are the two foods that have high demand because of its brand promise – that it’s healthy and sustainable foods. Are they?

Video summary: Salmon is usually found in the oceans of the northern hemisphere — but they also grow well in fish farms off the coast of Chile. In the 1980s, salmon was considered a luxury, but now, it’s become trendy. Avocados have also become more popular — especially with vegans, vegetarians, and hip young people in big cities. But the mass production of salmon and avocados is causing a lot of problems. Salmon produced on fish farms in Chile are given massive amounts of anti-biotics. Norway, by comparison, has all but eliminated the use of them. Environmental protection laws are tougher in Norway than they are in Chile. Salmon are predatory fish — but in Chile, they are fed largely on soybean meal. The soybeans are imported from Brazil, where they are grown on huge farms. A lot of forest in Brazil has been converted to agriculture. Also, the soy pellets that are fed to salmon in Chile have been treated with harmful substances that are banned in the EU and the US. Mexico is the world’s leading producer of avocados. José Gonzalez has been working in the avocado business for 35 years, and it’s made him a wealthy man. But it’s also changed his life dramatically, for the worse. Gonzalez has been threatened by criminals. His son was kidnapped — and now, when Gonzalez visits his plantations, he travels with armed bodyguards. Organized crime gangs are trying to take over the avocado business, particularly in the state of Michoacán. Cartels are fighting each other for access to this “green gold.” Violence is common, up to and including murder. Globalization and the boom in food production have now spread to Latin America, and it often has serious consequences. People and the environment are being exploited — simply to provide food for those who live in the northern hemisphere.

7. Vegucated (Trailer)

AFT Ed.: This 2011 vegan experiment between three friends is one for the plant-based fans and continues to be relevant a decade on. Writer and director Marisa Miller Wolfson, producer Demetrius Bagley who is known for cooking show Vegan Mashup and for organising vegan Meetups and theatre-maker and plant-based culinary artist, Laura Delhauer who was hired by Wolfson to help develop recipes for The Vegucated Family Table, a resource for parents and child care providers wanting to nourish children with more plant based foods. Vegucated was selected best documentary at its worldwide premiere at the Toronto Independent Film Festival and has done well at the film festivals circuit, it is also on Netflix. There is another pro-vegan flick on Netflix that made headlines pre-Covid, with the backing of Hollywood giants like James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, Lewis Hamilton, Novak Djokovic and Chris Paul. The Game Changer promo states that it’s a revolutionary new film about meat, protein and strength and has in effect converted quite a few into its quest.

Video Summary: Vegucated is a feature-length documentary that follows three meat- and cheese-loving New Yorkers who agree to adopt a vegan diet for six weeks. There’s Brian, the bacon-loving bachelor who eats out all the time, Ellen, the single mom who prefers comedy to cooking, and Tesla, the college student who avoids vegetables and bans beans. They have no idea that so much more than steak is at stake and that the fate of the world may fall on their plates. Lured with true tales of weight lost and health regained, they begin to uncover hidden sides of animal agriculture and soon start to wonder whether solutions offered in films like Food, Inc. go far enough. Before long, they find themselves risking everything to expose an industry they supported just weeks before.

But can their conviction carry them when times get tough? What about on family vacations fraught with skeptical step-dads, carnivorous cousins, and breakfast buffets?

Part sociological experiment, part science class, and part adventure story, Vegucated showcases the rapid and at times comedic evolution of three people who share one journey and ultimately discover their own paths in creating a kinder, cleaner, greener world, one bite at a time.

8. CSIRO’s new diet that could help with diabetes remission

By A Current Affair

AFT Ed: We love A Current Affair‘s investigative style of video journalism. Coupled with research from the CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, it seems like this discovery episode is indeed good news for the 1.5 million Australians living with diabetes.

Video Summary: A look at the CSIRO’S new diet that could help with diabetes remission. A Current Affair covers the realms of politics, crime, human rights, science, technology, celebrities and entertainment – all investigated by a dedicated team. A Current Affairs airs weeknights 7.00pm on Channel 9 Australia.

9. Take Back Your Health – with Dr. Robert H. Lustig

By Dr. David Perlmutter, The Empowering Neurologist EP. 122

AFT Ed.: This vodcast is a true gem as you have two of North America’s most motivational speakers and leaders in neurology speak about metabolic disease. Dr. David Perlmutter, the interviewer, is the author of Drop Acid, Brain Wash & his 2013 book Grain Brain which discusses how gluten causes neurological conditions and is an advocate of using functional and holistic treatment of brain disorders. He is also a medical advisor for The Dr. Oz Show and Men’s Health. Listen to these two men speak about insulin, protecting your liver, non-alcohol fatty liver disease, dementia and more. The vodcast reveals that “It turns out there are more thin and sick people than fat and sick people in America,” exclaims Dr. Robert Lustig. And interestingly, Dr. Lustig continues that “…sugar causes gout. It’s because it raises uric acid…”.

Video Summary: The Source of Our Most Challenging Epidemic. As you may recall, the last time we had the opportunity to interview Dr. Robert Lustig was when he published The Hacking of the American Mind, elucidating how the processed food industry has hacked our bodies and minds to pursue pleasure over happiness, fueling widespread addiction and depression. I’m excited to let everyone know that we again have the opportunity to feature Dr. Robert Lustig on the podcast talking about his new book METABOLICAL. This new work addresses nutrition, food science, and global health, and explains how by focusing on real food we can reverse chronic disease and promote longevity. For the first time, all strands of this pandemic—the medical, the economic, and the environmental—are pulled together into one clear narrative. And to be sure, the pandemic we are referring to is the pandemic of chronic, noninfectious, preventable diseases, not COVID-19. Describing the eight pathologies within the cell that belie all chronic disease, Dr. Lustig illustrates how they are not “druggable” but rather “foodable” (i.e. medication can’t cure what nutrition can) by following two basic principles: protect the liver, and feed the gut. He uses this science to chronicle the breakdown in our current healthcare paradigm, which has succumbed to influence from Big Food, Big Pharma, and Big Government. In the special chapter “Food in the Time of Corona,” Dr. Lustig addresses the way “pre-existing conditions” (i.e. diet-induced chronic diseases) make us vulnerable to succumbing to acute infectious diseases like COVID-19. He also argues that the Nutrition Facts label hides information from the consumer by omitting what’s been done to the food, which is more important than what’s in the food. Weaving together the interconnected strands of nutrition, disease, medicine, environment, and society, METABOLICAL provides the scientific bases for a series of iconoclastic revelations, among them: Medicine for chronic disease only treats symptoms, not the disease itself You can diagnose your own biochemical profile Processed food isn’t just toxic, it’s addictive The war between vegan and keto is a false war—the combatants are on the same side Big Food, Big Pharma, and Big Government are on the other side.

Our guest, Robert H. Lustig, M.D., MSL, is professor of pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology and a member of the Institute for Health Policy Studies at University of California, San Francisco. He has authored 120 peer-reviewed articles and 70 reviews. He has mentored 30 pediatric endocrine fellows and trained numerous other allied health professionals. He is the former chairman of the Obesity Task Force of the Pediatric Endocrine Society, a member of the Obesity Task Force of the Endocrine Society, and a member of the Pediatric Obesity Devices Committee of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. He is also the president of the nonprofit Institute for Responsible Nutrition, dedicated to reversing childhood obesity and Type 2 Diabetes. He consults for several childhood obesity advocacy groups and government agencies.

10. What You Know About the KETO DIET Is WRONG! This Is What NEW STUDIES Are Showing

By Tom Bilyeu’s Impact Theory

AFT Ed.: Dr. Steve Grundy is a medical professional and author that has often voiced out on diet and health. He speaks in-depth about ketogenic diets in this podcast, and that ketones are not new and were already in discussion in the late 1800s. Interestingly in the 1930s, he says, the Mayo Clinic found a link between starvation, the production of ketones and how ketogenic diets were prescribed to children with severe epilepsy. He speaks about humans and a starvation state that hardly is a case anymore today. Both interviewer and guest talk about mitochondria, an organism within our cells that carry their own DNA and create energy for the cells to use. The interview unravels at timestamp 20:02 Dr. Gundry sharing that, “…Ketones are not a super fuel, they are actually a signaling molecule that tells mitochondria to protect themselves at all costs from damage, and to save themselves at all costs if you are starving to death,”. Spoiler alert here, is that in a starvation situation, ketones will signal mitochondria to release calories. That, was quite a mind blowing reveal for both Bilyeu and to us! Dr. Gundry has his fans as he does critics, as he is best known for his controversial book, Plant Paradox Diet which claims that lectins, carbohydrate-binding proteins found in numerous plant foods that ‘agglutinates cells’, causing inflammation resulting in many modern diseases.

Video Summary: The ketogenic diet is so popular that it was searched over 25 million times in one year. Some experts support its effectiveness to help people lose weight, while others claim that it’s the worst diet to try. Research and data have advanced and proven that everyone has it wrong. Dr. Steven Gundry is with Tom explaining why he and the rest of the medical community got ketosis all wrong. He shares why mitochondrial uncoupling is really the star and this is what you need to know to make your dieting experience easier and more effortless. No need to live completely devoid of carbohydrates on a keto diet any longer.

AFT Ed.

Pseudoscience or truth?

We’ll leave that up to you, and your research to consider all of the messages shared above. Nutritional diet is a sensitive topic and we’ve realised that in our own communication in family group chats. No one person is right, and it’s a very personal journey. One thing is for sure, we end this list of AFT must-watch videos on Foods as Medicine with a quote from Mark Twain. Until the next list, eat well and be well!

“Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.”

― Mark Twain

Republish this:

AustraliaFitnessToday.com provides AFT’s must-watch videos on Food as Medicine licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license. When publishing, please enable back links and quote source: https://www.australiafitnesstoday.com/2022/04/07/food-as-medicine-must-watch-list/. Photo credit: Chiva Som Wellness Resort, Hua Hin, Thailand from the article https://www.asiafitnesstoday.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=8116&action=edit&lang=en

AFT Features, Fitness at Work, Men's Health, Women's Health

An Engaged Core gives Better Strength

I’m sure you’ve heard fitness trainers saying this – engage your core, engage your core! Your “core” refers to the muscles that surround your midsection, the part that runs from the top of our pelvic bone to the top of your stomach, wrapping around to your lower back. Basically it’s your trunk area.

Why does your “core” need to be strong? It needs to be not only strong, but also flexible and coordinated to help you in every action and movement. The core area helps us flex, extend, side-bend and rotate your trunk in all directions, as well as keep the trunk stable. Along with your hips and lower back, the abdominal muscles is crucial in keeping our centre strong so that we can use our arms and legs powerfully without hurting your spine.

Why is core engagement important?

A strong core is important in maintaining good physical health. Remember, your core is the building block for your entire body’s posture and overall movement. Once you have strong core muscles, you can improve your balance, coordination and stability, as well as reduce any risk of lower back pain and injury.

Besides athletes and sportsmen, elderly persons can also greatly benefit from having a strong core.

Building the exercise routine

Incorporate practicing core engagement exercises so you can also build endurance around your other muscles. A very simple tip, is to ensure holding a good posture at all times. This simple practice naturally engages your core! So when you’re standing, your spine is more or less in its natural curve. Once you’re used to it, it will become second nature and standing with a relaxed core will actually feel weird.

Six packs equal a strong core?

Let’s start with aspiring towards a lean physique…without a six pack. Most people with six packs are truly inspiring and disciplined; keeping an extremely strict exercise regime and maintaining a planned nutritional schedule and intake. Often pictures of athletes or models parading their six packs are taken during their peak conditions where they have activated both their transverse and rectus abdominus. They don’t usually look like that all year round. In truth, this kind of lifestyle is not realistic for ordinary people like us who do not have 6-8 hours to exercise every day. Abdominal definition is, in many cases, a side effect of being strong and healthy. In other words, strengthen your Transverse Abdominus.

What’s the Tranverse Abdominus?

Transverse Abdominus, or TVA, is the deepest layer of abdominal muscles. It covers our whole torso from ribs to pelvis and from front to back. The TVA muscles are set horizontally like a weight belt or corset and it does not move your pelvis or spine. It helps with your breathing and also helps stabilise your spine, in addition to forceful exhaling of air from the lungs and compress the internal organs.

Why is the TVA so important as a core muscle?

The TVA helps stabilise your spine and is one of the main muscles that helps stabilise the lumbar spine, which is the bottom part of the spine. You can tell you have a weak TVA when you have lower back pain.

When you strengthen your TVA, you not only strengthen your back, which is important for many other activities such as lifting stuff, sitting, walking and many more activities that involve limb movements.

When your TVA is weak your abdominal wall will bulge outwards and your pelvis may rotate and your may increase the risk of a curvature of the spine. In other words, strengthen your core to decrease the risk to your spine. It also helps you to trim your stomach area.

How do you build on the TVA as a core muscle then?

There’s no one magical exercise routine, but a combination of movements that engage the core in a way that works so much better than crunches and sit-ups.

Planks are well known for “working” the core, but some other exercises include pull-ups, jumping, spinning, and rolling.

These movements have one thing in common – and that is, none of them are “isolation” exercises. Basically, in order to do those movements, you need to use your abdominals to maintain your posture and stability throughout the motion.

Core engagement exercise tips

Engage your core while seated

A lot of us sit for long periods of time either at the office or while driving. For this very reason, practising and engaging your core is especially important as you sit down or get up from your chair or car seat.

Step 1: Sit up straight in your chair, with your shoulders over your hips, then let your back relax back against the backrest.

Step 2: Sit up into your original position again and feel that light sense of tension in your abs needed to hold yourself up. It should not be much. Just a light, but deep, engagement. This is the level of engagement you want to have while you walk, run or do any movement throughout your day.

Abdominal Vacuum

Step 1: Sit up tall on a chair. Straighten your spine and place your feet flat on the floor.

Step 2: Draw your bellybutton in toward your spine, engaging your core muscles. Do not hold your breath; instead breathe deeply and evenly.

Step 3: Contract your abdominals or pulse the muscles in and out until your muscles fatigue.

You can practice the abdominal vacuum exercise throughout the day while you are sitting on a chair.

Engage your core – AsiaFitnessToday.com

Abdominal Hold

Step 1: Sit on the edge of a chair with a straight spine and your feet flat on the floor.

Step 2: Place your palms flat on the seat of the chair, curling your fingers around the edge of the seat.

Step 3: Engage your core muscles by drawing your bellybutton in toward your spine. Press down with your hands and draw your knees toward your chest, lifting your feet two to four inches off the floor.

Repeat this exercise as many times as you can during a one-minute interval.

How about other times when we are not sitting or exercising?

Keep your core engaged lightly and gently during any and all movement: when you first get out of bed (with a gentle stretch), while walking, getting into and out of your car, at the office at your desk, and most definitely while you run or walk or do any kind of fitness activity, standing in line, cooking dinner, even while brushing your teeth.

When you focus your mind on your core several times a day, you are in touch with a deeper part of yourself, in the present moment.

Reminding ourselves to keep our core engaged

Make it a game…how many muscles can you engage in any movement if your core is engaged. Feel the difference in how you move when your core is or is not consciously employed. How about setting an alarm on your phone, with a ring tone that is unique to remind yourself to engage your core?

Revisiting the benefits of breathing right

You might not think about something that happens so automatically as breathing, but it can make all the difference in your workout – especially when doing stomach exercises. Breathing out at the right time tightens your ab muscles and engages your core, so you get more out of your workout. Proper breathing technique can also give you more stamina while on the exercise mat. When exerting yourself, it can seem like a natural reaction to hold your breath. Don’t do this! Keep breathing otherwise you could get dizzy and faint.

Proper Technique

Improper breathing techniques could interfere or delay your ability to get the most out of your ab workout. To get the most oxygen from your lungs to your muscles, it’s important that you draw air deep into your lungs. This is accomplished using a technique known as abdominal breathing.

Abdominal breathing helps you fill your belly with air to get the optimal amount of oxygen into your body. If you’re only pulling air into your chest, you may not get the oxygen you need during a workout.

Ok, some people will say that they breathe with their lungs. This is okay as long as you can feel your abdominal muscles move.

The problem arises when you use your upper chest to breath as this more often than not causes or makes chest pain worse.

Chest breathing are shallow and rapid or fast breaths. This is a stress response and can lead to hyperventilation, which is bad for those with stress and anxiety. You can use abdominal breathing to control your nervous system and encourage your body to relax. When your body is relaxed, it brings a range of health benefits.

Take a quick at the last issue of Running Malaysia where we touched on Breathing. Proper breathing helps you to lose weight as well. So when you’re strengthening your core, don’t forget to breathe.

Credit: Article compiled by Nikki Yeo – Co-founder AsiaFitnessToday.com and ACE-certified Fitness Trainer.

References:
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/abdominalcorestrength1/ss/AbAnatomy_5.htm
http://www.chirunning.com/blog/entry/all-day-core
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Breathing_to_reduce_stress?open
http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/tighten-stomach-sitting-6831.html
http://www.breathing.com/articles/chest-breathing.htm
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/8757467/How-to-breathe.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/405255-breathing-techniques-for-stomach-exercises/
AFT Features, Men's Health, Women's Health

Differences between men and women

Understanding the differences between men and women in long distance running

It’s a fact. Men and women simply have different morphology. Most runners will have a training plan to clock in the distance in order to achieve their goal of be it a 5km or an ultra marathon.  While we are determined to cross the finish line with our personal best time, it would help to get to know your body better so you can reach the maximum potential of your given anatomy. In order to optimise your training and improve your performance, I’ve compiled a few differences that will create a better understanding of the differences between men and women.

Physiological gender differences & implications for training and performance

Before boys and girls hit puberty, their body structures are similar in terms of body weight, height, length of their legs and upper-arm circumference. During puberty, development occurs and boys will start to develop larger shoulders while girls start to develop larger and wider hips. Due to the smaller shoulder size of women, this poses a disadvantage for women to develop upper-body strength, limiting their body strength on the upper-body in comparison to men throughout adulthood. Women’s narrow shoulders compared to men’sare also generally shorter and women are naturally born with larger pelvis width-to-height ratio and shoulder-to-hip ratio than men.

“We some times hear the term pear-shaped being used to describe a woman’s shape, but the basic truth thata woman has wider hipsis specifically for the purpose of child bearing. Notice that most professional female runners tend to have smaller and narrower hips, so it’s their natural born physique that also aids them towards excelling in distance running”.

The Q Angle (or Quadriceps Angle)

The anatomical and biomechanical features are disparate between men and women. Women have a larger pelvis because they are designed to carry the child. This larger pelvis combined to a shorter femur lead to a different Q angle at which the quadriceps muscle – from the pointiest position of the pelvis, scientifically known as the Anterior Superior Iliac Spine – meets the kneecap (or patella), compared to the line connecting the ligament attaching the patella to the shin. The angle between these two lines forms the Q angle.

Males have a Q angle between 8 and 15 degrees while females have a Q angle between 12 and 19 degrees.

SOURCE:PHYSIOPEDIA,Q ANGLE

How does this difference influence the running?

Women, as they have a broader angle, are more subjected to Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries while exerting themselves. The Q-angle dissimilarity refers to a difference of knee alignment as well. In short, men are anatomically better designed than women for running. The space for ACL movement is more limited by women than in men, putting the ACL in a critical position as it can easily get pinched and lead to rupture of the ligament, especially while stretching or twisting. However, when you practise how to train properly, you will lower the risks of getting injuredmale or female.

In summary,

  • A larger Q-angle puts women at a mechanical disadvantage when running.
  • Wider hips and a large Q-angle put the femur at an angle when the foot is on the ground.
  • Elite female runnershave narrower hips, which closely resemble male runners. Research has also shown that the hip width of very good female runners is similar to that of both athletic and even non-athletic males.
  • Women’s anatomy also affects their stride mechanics. Research has shown that female runners take shorter strides than male runners when running at the same speed. Although it’s interesting that the combination of stride rate and stride length differs between female and male runners, it’s not completely clear why women take shorter strides.
  • Obvious reason is that women are generally shorter than men and have shorter legs, hence the shorter strides. (misconception among runners)
  • Research has also shown that taller runners don’t take longer strides than shorter runners. Stride length is more a product of hip extension and how much force your muscles produce as you push off the ground.
  • Therefore, something else must cause female runners to take shorter strides than male runners when running at the same speed

Differences in body weight and body composition

Muscular differences

Muscle mass is on average 35% of the total mass of a man against 28% in women. Moreover, women have more “fat” than men. The fat of a woman averaged 20% against 13% in a man.

  • Women have a smaller muscle than men
  • Women can’t produce much muscle as much as men
  • Men are able to sprint faster than women

Knowing that muscle activity is the cause of energy expenditure during exercise, and the woman has less ability to produce energy and therefore less strength and endurance.

Cardio muscular distinctions

The heart

The heart is a cardio muscular muscle that enables oxygen through blood stream to be pumped to your muscles.The female heart is smaller. While it weighs 118 grams on average in women, men’s hearts weighin at about 178 grams on average. Training improves the heart skills in both women and men. This enhancement is however limited in women.

Maximum Heart Rate is the maximum number of beats the heart can achieve in the space of a minute. This value is unique to each individual and it also changes with age and gender.

The Maximum Heart Rate is thus higher in women than in men. On average, a woman will reach 174 beats per minute against 169 beats per minute. Women’s hearts beat faster because the volume of blood ejected by the heart is lower than men’s.

However, a smaller heart doesn’t mean men are better at running marathon. Even though you first impressions turn into men’s advantages, women are still in the run!

 

VO2max: maximal oxygen consumption

Femaleshave less blood than males. This could be explained first by the period women experience every month, but that isn’t the only factor. The blood plays an important role while running. Indeed, the vital oxygen you need to make your muscles work is transported through blood.

VO2max is the maximum capacity to store, transport and use oxygen during aerobic exercise. In other words, this is the maximum volume of oxygen consumed during exercise. Your muscles and oxygen are necessary to produce the required energy for training. The more your VO2 max is, the more your body is able to use oxygen to produce energy.

The VO2max on average for male is45-50 ml/min/kg and 35-40 ml /min/kg for women.

Men have an average of 13.6 to 17.5 grams of haemoglobin per decalitre in their blood. Women have 12.0 to 15.5 grams per decalitre.

Women therefore have less capacity to store and transport oxygen, a difference that translates both during tests of strength or resistance during endurance events.

 A more advantageous metabolism in women

Carbohydrate (or glucose) is stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver. These stores represent the prime source of energy but they are limited. Indeed, the muscles can store about 400 grams of glycogen and the liver 100 grams.

After running out of this energy, a runners’bodywill seek another source of energy through the fat. You store fat all over your body, especially beneath the skin and around internal organs. An important note is that proteins are generally not used as the main resource of energy, except in extreme circumstances.

Men will use glycogen as the energy used while running whereas women can easily usefat and less carbohydrate at a given intensity of exercise. Men will need to recharge their hydrocarbon stocks to fuel their running capacity. It takes about 30 minutes to hydrocarbon/sugar to reach your bloodstream.

As a conclusion, women need to approach their training and racing differently than men to optimise their unique characteristics.

More than that, hormones in both males and females differ in amounts and in the effect that they have in the body. Indeed, for women, the best time to run is during the Follicular Phase, which is during your sixth to 15th day after your period. The differences occur in muscles and metabolism as well.

Being aware of these differences means is also a way to realise that your needs are different, that is why tailoring your diet and your training is necessary.

Women, you may be physiologically weaker, but you are still champions J

Alissa Laurent, a Canadian runnerwon the Canadian Death Race in 2015 and ended 90 minutes before the second winner, a man.

In short, women are scientifically better distance runners than men. So go ahead and with safe and consistent training, you can outrun the boys!

References:
Physiological

 

http://running.competitor.com/2015/10/training/the-physiological-differences-between-male-and-female-runners_136993#gEgRJdShz2kqmvQq.99

Heart, blood, arteries

https://www.sharecare.com/health/womens-health/health-guide/womens-health-guide/differences-in-heart-health-for-women

Energy

http://www.runningforfitness.org/book/chapter-7-eating-drinking-and-running/energy-while-running

https://runnersconnect.net/running-training-articles/cience-of-bonking-and-glycogen-depletion/

Q-angle

http://www.physio-pedia.com/’Q’_Angle#Recent_Related_Research_.28from_Pubmed.29

https://casi-acms.com/index.php/en/q-angle-explained

Muscle and VO2 max

http://www.ilosport.fr/articles/hommes-et-femmes-quelles-differences-de-performa/

 

AFT Features, Women's Health

Running While Pregnant

Is running during pregnancy safe?

Pregnant ladies shouldn’t exercise because it could affect the baby’s health.

Is that a fallacy or just a cultural belief? So should pregnant women just restor lay down all day?!There’s been no evidence to say that women should stay still while carrying a child. Scientific progress has allowed us to better understand the human anatomy and in fact, there’s more evidence to show that remaining active is good for your health and your baby’s health as well.

Whether you are an athlete or not, it is fine to partake in sport while pregnant as long as you take some precautions. Your running distance will depend on your sports background.

First on the precautions list – before starting or keeping on exercising, it is highly recommended to checkwith your doctorbefore you proceed with any activities.

 

I’m pregnant…

A typical pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks. So a common practise is to divide it into three trimesters:

During the first trimester your body doesn’t considerably change. The weight you gain isn’t too high so you won’t experience backaches… yet. However, you may experience other symptoms that are part and parcel of the usual “pregnancy pack” such as extreme fatigue, nausea and vomiting, food cravings or aversions, mood swings, constipation, frequent urination, and other unpleasant side effects. These may affect your daily schedule.

When pregnant, your body may also suffer from a lack of vital nutrients. That is why many advocate additional prenatal vitamins to supplement your body’s needs.

What kind of vitamins?

Folic acid, also known as folate, is a B-type vitamin that helps from preventing neural tube defects.Neural tube defects are birth defects of the brain, spine, or spinal cord. They happen in the first month of pregnancy, often before a woman even knows that she is pregnant. That is why if you intend to be pregnant or if you are, make sure you have the daily right amount of acid folic.Youneed at least 400mcg/day before conceiving and600mcg/day during pregnancy according to USA standards.

Iron is important because it is a necessary component for the production of haemoglobin, which enables the transportation of oxygen in your body. But beyond this primary function, it is essential throughout the 9 months.

For you: During pregnancy, your body works more intensely and many organs (uterus and kidneys in particular) are working at full capacity. This increased activity requires more blood volume.

For your baby: Iron is essential not only to ensure proper development of the baby, but also for pregnancy-related organs such as the placenta or the umbilical cord. If iron stores are missing, you run the risk of giving birth to a premature or a low weightbaby.

Vitamin Ccombined with a daily intake of iron increase the absorption of the latter.

Fibre and fluids: During pregnancy, hormones cause a slowing of the digestive system. Fibre and liquids like water will lower the risks of constipation. Remember that being well hydrated is important for your health and your baby’s health. Dehydration can decrease the blood flow to the uterus, which may lead to premature contractions.

Vitamin D and Calcium: Your needs in Vitamin D and calcium will increase, as they are necessary to the development of the baby. Otherwise the baby might draw on your stores living you in short supply. A recent study has shown that vitamin D rate by the mom influences the baby’s strength later in life.

(Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24178796)

The first trimester is when the baby’s major organs are forming, and overheating’s a real issue. If a woman’s core temperature gets too high, it could cause problems with the baby. So during hot weather, better run early morning hours or in the evening when it is cooler.

(Source: http://www.runnersworld.com/fuel-school/healthy-running-during-your-first-trimester)

During the second trimester&third trimester,the recommendations for the first trimester remain to be followed. What you can add to your schedule is Kegel exercises. Certainly, pregnancy, childbirth, surgery, aging, being overweight and so on, can weaken your pelvic floor muscles, which support the uterus, bladder, small intestine and rectum.Kegel exercises strengthen the pelvic floor muscles to help you prevent or control urinary incontinence and other pelvic floor problems.

Indeed, the weight of the baby, or childbirth later on has probably weakened your pelvic floor muscles. That is why Kegels are not only important during pregnancy but throughout your life after having a baby.

 

How to do Kegel exercises

To get started:

  • Find the right muscles.To identify your pelvic floor muscles, stop urination in midstream. If you succeed, you’ve got the right muscles. Once you’ve identified your pelvic floor muscles you can do the exercises in any position, although you might find it easiest to do them lying down at first.
  • Perfect your technique.Tighten your pelvic floor muscles, hold the contraction for five seconds, and then relax for five seconds. Try it four or five times in a row. Work up to keeping the muscles contracted for 10 seconds at a time, relaxing for 10 seconds between contractions.
  • Maintain your focus.For best results, focus on tightening only your pelvic floor muscles. Be careful not to flex the muscles in your abdomen, thighs or buttocks. Avoid holding your breath. Instead, breathe freely during the exercises.
  • Repeat three times a day.Aim for at least three sets of 10 repetitions a day.

Don’t make a habit of using Kegel exercises to start and stop your urine stream. Doing Kegel exercises while emptying your bladder can actually lead to incomplete emptying of the bladder — which increases the risk of a urinary tract infection.

(Source: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/womens-health/in-depth/kegel-exercises/art-20045283)

During the 2nd and 3rd trimesters, you can carry on running. However, consider running shorterdistancesand decrease in the duration and intensity as your due date approaches. You can slow down your running for lower impact activities like swimming and walking.

 

Postural changes – Muscles imbalances

Your body will experience many changes while pregnant. Indeed, your hips have probably tilted forward (Lower CrossedSyndrome – LCS, also know as distal or pelvic crossed syndrome) and your shoulders are probably rounded (Upper Crossed Syndrome – UCS, also known as proximal or shoulder girdle crossed syndrome).

Graphic Source: http://www.chrcentre.com.au/blog/blog/upper-crossed-lower-crossed-syndrome/)

 

This misalignment is the source of pain you might be suffering. Indeed, certain muscles becoming tightened, while other muscles become lengthened and inhibited in order to stabilize the body, and to adaptto the growing foetus and uterus.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/postural-changes-pregnancy-beyond-teresa-chartrand and http://www.active.com/fitness/articles/why-your-workout-should-change-with-pregnancy

After birth

Returning to sport after giving birth takes time and it’s always a good idea to see your good doctor before engaging in any form of sport.

After childbirth, like any major operation or hospitalisation, it’s advisable to rest, get plenty of sleep and simply recuperate. This includes NO heavy lifting nor intensive movement of the body especially in first three to six weeks. You can, however, work on your pelvic-floor exercises and walk. Take it easy; and allow your body the chance to recover.

Once past the 6-week postnatal check-up, you can then consider starting with low impact exercises.

By the 16th week, most women have been able to resume their previous sport activities. Listen to your body as you might feel tired due to the lack of sleep, breastfeeding.

(Source: http://www.pelvicfloorfirst.org.au/pages/returning-to-sport-or-exercise-after-the-birth.html)

Some tips

Some tips when running:

  • Keep well hydrated
  • Run during the coolest hours of the daylight, early mornings or in the evening, as your body temperature gets higher while pregnant.
  • Don’t run a marathon while pregnant. You could put your health and the baby’s health in danger.
  • Never run to the point of exhaustion or breathlessness. If you feel tired, don’t push yourself, and just take a break.
  • Wear a heart rate monitor to help limit excessive speed and effort.
  • As your due date approaches, slow down your running for lower impact activities like swimming and walking.

Conclusion

As a conclusion, while you can still run when pregnant, take some precautions and listen to your body. If you are not sure, discuss it with your doctor.

Running while pregnant is good; it improves your sleep quality, prevents you from gaining excessive weight, lessens back pains, and reduces delivery complications and time spent in labour. However, don’t exceed your capacity and don’t raise the bar too high.

Enjoyyour run, your pregnancy and stay safe!

Fitness, Fitness at Work, Wellness

A little about N.E.A.T, Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis

What is N.E.A.T?

Over the past few years, researchers have begun investigating the time we spent awake or at work which is approximately 110 – 115 hours per week, as a weight loss solution, rather than the few hours a week spent trying to exercise. The results are impressive as they provide so many opportunities to achieve effective and sustained weight loss without complicating our lives, finding more time to exercise, doing things we may despise, or even exceeding our own comfort levels or abilities.

We call these expended calories N.E.A.T (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) or NEPA (non-exercise physical activity) and it is the energy expended for everything we do in our daily lives that does not include sleeping, eating, or exercise; and ranges from simple things like standing and fidgeting to moving about.

N.E.A.T can be a great way to add movement into your daily lives without breaking a sweat!

Even breathing can help towards burning fat. When you breathe deeply, and slowly, you will work your diaphragm. It takes years to master breathing techniques, but it’s never too late to start. Most of us breath in only 1/5th of the oxygen we need. According to Pranayama Yoga practitioner, breathing master and author of ‘The Art of Breathing’ – Dominique Lonchant, “Most of the time we breathe too superficially and insufficiently. Of all the organs, the brain needs the most of oxygen,”. He believes that many illnesses such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes occur because of a lack of oxygen!

Engaging your core is another way. But first, let’s start by defining what “the core” really means because it means differently to different people. Usually it refers to the muscles that surround your midsection. It is from the top of our pelvic bone to the top of our tummy and it’s all the way around to our lower back. It’s basically our trunk area. In this instance, we refer specifically to the abdominal muscles located in the front of your body, or the tummy area. To be more specific, the core needs to be strong, flexible, and coordinated to help us in our every action including running.

The core helps us flex, extend, side bend, and rotate our trunk in all directions, as well as keep the trunk stable. Along with the hips and low back, the abdominal muscles keep us strong in our centre, so that we can use our arms and legs powerfully and without hurting our spine.

When sitting, standing or walking, it’s important to be aware of your core area and to strengthen it because it’s the core that holds your poise.

It’s great to aware that non-exercise activity thermogenesis (N.E.A.T) can contribute towards your fitness regime. Well, it’s a good start anyway:)

References: 1. Levine, James. “Nonexercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT): environment and biology.” American Journal of Physiology – Endocrinology and Metabolism. no. E675-E685 (2004). 10.1152/ajpendo.00562.2003 (accessed December 15, 2013).

Women's Health

Perimenopause and Running

Menopause signifies the end of the reproductive time for a woman where the ovaries stop releasing eggs, and hormones like oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone decrease in its production. As a woman edges closer to menopause, they may start to experience symptoms that may cause concern and bring along feelings of anxiety. The medical community call this the perimenopause or premenopauseterm and it has been evident in womenbetween the age range of 35 to 45 years old.

Here’s a checklist of symptoms that a woman may experience during the perimenopause period:

  • Irregular periods
  • Vaginal dryness
  • Hot flushes
  • Night sweats
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Mood swings or getting easily irritated
  • Weight gain and slowed metabolism
  • Dry skin

These perimenopause symptoms are precursors to menopause and last months to years (an average of 2 years, but every woman is different and will experience some of it at different stages in their lives) until reaching the menopause. Some women

How perimenopause symptoms affect you

Osteoporosis and muscles

Oestrogen plays a crucial role in the reproduction system. It also strengthens bones and helps the widening of blood vessels during exercise warm-up – known as the vasodilation process. Blood vessels dilate so the volume of blood flow increases and allows more oxygen to flow through the body.

If you’ve ever wondered why women experience hot flushes, here’s the explanation. Oestrogen production helps cool down the body and when the production of hormones fluctuates or reduces, blood pressure would also increase while blood flow decreases, leading to a rise in temperature in the body, brain and hypothalamus.

Drink an icy cold beverage, place a wet cold towel on your body or have a quick cold shower to cool down. It accelerates the vasoconstriction process, narrows your blood vessels and decreases the blood flow therefore resulting in lower body temperatures.

The body’s ability to build and maintain muscles is affected when the production of oestrogen and testosterone reduces. That’s why it becomes a greater challenge to achieve fitness performances of your younger days as you age.

How important is oestrogen? According to Dr. Jason Karp, author of Women and Running: “Oestrogen is the single biggest influence of bone health, so when a woman loses oestrogen, she loses the protective effect on bones,”.

Ligaments and Tendons

Oestrogen is necessary for our reproductive system, bones health, and also for collagen production. Less collagen production affects the elasticity of the ligaments and tendons as well.

p

https://www.renewalliance.com/blog/post-menopause-collagen-loss

It’s best to avoid smoking, excessive exposure to the sun, poor nutrition and stress if you wish to lessen the loss of your collagen. Above all, stay well hydrated. The constant reminder to, “Drink 1.5 litres of water per day”, is wise advice. Even if you don’t feel the need to drink or have the thirst, your body needs it, for your bones, your ligaments and tendons and for your skin.

Runners facing menopause

Runners are better prepared than non-active women to face menopause.

* Runners are already used to feeling the heat, so they’re able to cope better with feeling hot flushes. Running also helps improve uplift you and improve your mood because you secrete endorphin and dopamine – hormones that boost the feeling of pleasure and well-being.

* Runners naturally sleep better than non-active women who may often disturbed by night sweats.It’s always a better idea to run in the morning than in the evening, because it may take time to cool down before bedtime.

* Observe a specific diet as you head towards menopause so you can stabilise your weight. Your metabolism will not the same and you will need to tailor your diet to keep up with your performances.

* Running will help you to strengthen your bones by maintaining the muscle mass to lower the risk of injury and fractures.

How about HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy)?

There are a few schools of thought on HRT and it’s a therapy that may not be suitable for everyone. Some believe HRT may increase the risk of developing some cancers or heart diseases by some women. So it’s best to seek the advice from your good and trusted family doctor. There are several alternatives to HRT for you to consider, and these are:

  • Change of lifestyle: incorporating regular exercise, eating healthy, eliminating coffee, alcohol and spicy foods and not smoking
  • Tibolone: a medication that’s similar to combined HRT (oestrogen and progestogen), but may not be as effective and is only suitable for women who had their last period more than a year ago
  • Anti-depressants: Helps with hot flushes and night sweats, however expect unpleasant side effects such as agitation and dizziness
  • Clonidine: A non-hormonal medicine that helps reduce hot flushes and night sweats

Tips on managing perimenopause symptoms

  • Incorporate strength-training to your routine to maintain muscle mass and you’ll lessen the risk of osteoporosis.
  • Eat more calcium- and magnesium-rich foods with dark green leafy vegetable and seeds, nuts and fish oil. Kale and broccoli are also known to help fight osteoporosis.
  • Manage perimenopause symptoms with the consumption of soya, flaxseed, lentils and chickpeas, as phytoestrogen-rich nutrients act in a similar way to oestrogen, and can help relieve some symptoms.
  • Omega 3 is good for lowering the risk of cancer, protecting against osteoporosis, and keeps you in a good mood. Include fish oil, flaxseed and walnuts in your diet.
  • Biotin, also known as vitamin H, helps the body convert food into energy and helps keep your skin, hair, eyes, liver, and nervous system healthy. Biotin can be found in nuts, egg yolk, organ meats, soybean, cereals, cauliflower, bananas, mushrooms.
  • Water, the most essential source of life! Often neglected, water is highly important. If you wait until you feel thirsty, your body is already highly dehydrated. So remember to hydrate, hydrate and hydrate especially when exercising!

Running is a great way to reduce menopause symptoms because it increases your fitness level and helps prepare your body for the changes you are about to face during the menopause period. When you adapt to a lifestyle that adopts exercise and a healthy diet, your metabolism will naturally increase. I urge you to stay active and effect your body towards ageing gracefully so you can achieve joy in every step of the way!

This article has been compiled from various sources including:

If you need further information about what diet to adopt, this link might help you: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/eat-beat-menopause

Article compiled by Nikki Yeo, FMS–certified practitioner and ACE-certified Fitness Trainer.