Rise To The Challenge And Stay Active To Beat Obesity
Since I was young all I know and have been introduced to has been surrounded around sports. Growing up I played every sport imaginable and loved the challenge of what every sport had to offer. I realized I had more endurance than most other kids and athletes so I stuck with the sports involved in those areas. Rowing and long distance triathlons were going to be the sports that I would be involved in for a long time. The influence my parents had on me was very powerful and influential in many ways in both school and sports. My mother was always more on the academic side as my father always chose sports over academics. My father still expected good academics but if there was a sporting event, game, and/or practice that would take precedence. The fight to finish school and competitions became ingrained in me and if I ever wanted to quit early I would always here my mother’s words ‘If your going to do something… whatever it is. Do it the right way and finish it to the best of your ability.’ Make sure to stay involved with what your children are doing and try to balance out their lifestyles and give them just the right amount of advice. Even Though my father, John Nunn, was an Olympic Bronze Medalist 68′ in rowing and was the head Olympic Men’s Rowing coach 76′, he never once told me or forced me to row. He always asked me what I wanted to do and what made me happy. I played soccer, baseball, ice hockey, tennis, basketball, and surfed before I was a rower and got a scholarship to row at UC Berkeley. Make sure to stay active with your children and ask them as well as yourself what activities and sports make you happy. What do you like to do? When I made the decision to quit baseball and soccer at the same time my father told me that was fine but that I had to find something else to do or get a full-time job. I asked him at that point, 16 yrs of age, ‘How about that rowing program down in Long Beach?’ He jumped up out of his chair and the rest was history 😉
Obesity is so entrenched in the U.S. that it would take an intense push by schools, employers, doctors and others to reverse an epidemic that accounts for billions of dollars in annual health-care costs, concluded a report released Tuesday. But the challenge lies in making such changes. Many of the recommendations in the report have been advocated for years—including in previous IOM reports—yet opposition to recommendations has prevented many from being put into place, particularly at the federal level. While several cities and states have considered excise taxes on sugared drinks in recent years, for example, the beverage industry has spent millions of dollars lobbying and advertising against them. All have eventually been defeated thus far. The Obama administration put the fight against childhood obesity on center stage with 
first lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign, and promoted a nutritional overhaul of subsidized school lunches to include more vegetables, fruits and whole grains. This year the ‘My Food Plate’ took the new look over the ‘Food Pyramid’ and is changing the way Americans and the World is looking at good nutrition. It also pushed to remove unhealthy foods from schools. But Congress blocked the administration effort to push pizza off the lunch tray, in part because it typically has some ingredients considered vegetables. Meanwhile, a working group of four federal agencies set up in 2009 to devise voluntary nutrition standards for foods and beverages marketed to children remains in limbo, amid objections from lawmakers and food marketers. The problem is not coming up with good ideas about what to do about obesity, it’s about actually doing carrying through with them and making it stay for the long run.
The IOM report was released at a “Weight of the Nation” conference in Washington, D.C., hosted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and comes as rates of obesity in the U.S. have generally leveled off in the past decade among both children and adults. But two-thirds of Americans are still overweight or obese, and the number of people who are severely obese has continued to rise. It isn’t clear where the epidemic is headed. A study published Monday in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine predicted that 42% of the U.S. population will be obese in 2030. In 2009-2010, 35.7% of adults and 16.9% of children were obese, according to CDC data. One factor that concerns public-health officials is how many of today’s more than 12.5 million obese children will remain obese as adults. Also of concern are rising health-care costs, as obesity is linked with costly chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Estimates vary widely as to the cost of obesity-related illnesses; the IOM said it runs to $190.2 billion annually. Scientists have known for some time that sedentary people are at increased risk of developing heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. But they haven’t fully understood why, in part because studying the effects of sedentary behavior isn’t easy. People who are inactive may also be obese, eat poorly or face other lifestyle or metabolic issues that make it impossible to tease out the specific role that inactivity, on its own, plays in ill health.
Y- Say Yes To Good Nutrition And Live A Healthier Lifestyle Now!
A- Eat More Apples Along With Many Other Good Fruits, Vegetables, And Berries
C- You Can Do Anything You Put Your Mind To
I- Utilization Of High-Intensity Workouts Is The Key To Accomplish Your Fitness Goals Sooner
V- Have A Good Vibe And Be Positive With Your Outlook On Life And Your Goals
E- Everything Is A Process! Be Patient, Work Hard, And Great Results Come To Those Who Persevere 🙂
How Staying Active Keeps Us Healthy
NY Times Article
2/29/2012
…So, to solve this problem, researchers lately have embraced a novel approach to studying the effects of inactivity. They’ve imposed the condition on people who otherwise would be out happily exercising and moving about, in some cases by sentencing them to bed rest. But in the current study, which was published this month in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, the scientists created a more realistic version of inactivity by having their volunteers cut the number of steps they took each day by at least half. They wanted to determine whether this physical languor would affect the body’s ability to control blood sugar levels. “It’s increasingly clear that blood sugar spikes, especially after a meal, are bad for you,” says John P. Thyfault, an associate professor of nutrition and exercise physiology at the University of Missouri, who conducted the study with his graduate student Catherine R. Mikus and others. “Spikes and swings in blood sugar after meals have 
been linked to the development of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.” So the scientists fitted their volunteers with sophisticated glucose monitoring devices, which checked their blood sugar levels continuously throughout the day. They also gave the subjects pedometers and activity-measuring armbands, to track exercise guidelines from the American Heart Association and other groups recommend that, for health purposes, people accumulate 10,000 steps or more a day, the equivalent of about five miles of walking. Few people do, however. Repeated studies of American adults have shown that a majority take fewer than 5,000 steps per day. The Missouri volunteers were atypical in that regard. Each exercised 30 minutes or so most days and easily completed more than 10,000 daily steps during the first three days of the experiment. The average was almost 13,000 steps. During these three days, according to data from their glucose monitors, the volunteers’ blood sugar did not spike after they ate. But that estimable condition changed during the second portion of the experiment, when the volunteers were told to cut back on activity so that their step counts would fall below 5,000 a day for the next three days. Achieving such indolence was easy enough. The volunteers stopped exercising and, at every opportunity, took the elevator, not the stairs, or had lunch delivered, instead of strolling to a cafe. They became, essentially, typical American adults. Their average step counts fell to barely 4,300 during the three days, and the volunteers reported that they now “exercised,” on average, about three minutes a day.
Meanwhile, they ate exactly the same meals and snacks as they had in the preceding three days, so that any changes in blood sugar levels would not be a result of eating fattier or sweeter meals than before. And there were changes during the three days of inactivity. Volunteers’ blood sugar levels spiked significantly after meals, with the peaks increasing by about 26 percent compared with when the volunteers were exercising and moving more. What’s more, the peaks grew slightly with each successive day. This change in blood sugar control after meals “occurred well before we could see any changes in fitness or adiposity,” or fat buildup, due to the reduced activity, Dr. Thyfault says. So the blood sugar swings would seem to be a result, directly, of the volunteers not moving much. Which is both distressing and encouraging news. “People immediately think, ‘So what happens if I get hurt or really busy, or for some other reason just can’t work out for awhile?’” Dr. Thyfault says. “The answer seems to be that it shouldn’t be a big problem.” Studies in both humans and animals have found that blood sugar regulation quickly returns to normal once activity resumes. The spikes during inactivity are natural, after all, even inevitable, given that unused muscles need less fuel and so draw less sugar from the blood. The condition becomes a serious concern, Dr. Thyfault says, only when inactivity is lingering, when it becomes the body’s default condition. “We hypothesize that, over time, inactivity creates the physiological conditions that produce chronic disease,” like Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, regardless of a person’s weight or diet. To avoid that fate, he says, keep moving, even if in small doses. “When I’m really busy, I make sure to get up and walk around the office or jog in place every hour or so,” he says. Wear a pedometer if it will nudge you to move more. “You don’t have to run marathons,” he says. “But the evidence is clear that you do need to move.”
These days people are always looking for the easy way out and once things get tough they usually quit or move in another direction in life. An individual will not really get anywhere unless they become established and put the time in to get things done. If you keep changing things throughout your life with fitness and nutrition and not sticking to the program it will be very difficult to accomplish your goals. As we move 6 months into 2012 ask yourself how your new year’s resolutions are going if you have really stuck to them or not. It’s never too late to get the right nutrition and fitness plan started.
Contact me HERE for any questions about how to ‘Jumpstart’ your nutrition and training plans! If you have any questions regarding personal training, one-on-one rowing help, or Ironman Triathlon Training you can reach me here and we can work on a training plan together.
DR. SEARS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF NUTRITION AND TAKING JUICE PLUS 🙂
Do I feel passionate about this product? Yes! Here’s why.
Each morning I put a scoopful of Juice Plus+ Complete® into my fruit and yogurt smoothie. Every day I take my Fruit and Veggie Juice Plus+® Capsules, and dole out Juice Plus+® to our kids in the form of chewables (soft) and capsules according to their age and taste. Then I go to my office and recommend the Juice Plus+® Children’s Health Study to the families in my pediatric practice.
In April of 1997 I underwent major surgery for colon cancer, followed by a long course of radiation and chemotherapy. Realizing that colon cancer, and all major diseases for that matter, are influenced by diet, I was determined not to let my medical problem repeat itself. So I began devouring medical literature on the connection between diet and health. During the year following my surgery, I read volumes about nutrition, subscribed to every nutrition journal I could find, put together a collection of over 500 file folders about food, and became what my friends tagged a “health nut.” About three months into my new style of eating I noticed some amazing changes. My energy level skyrocketed, prompting my wife Martha to call me “Zip.” We stepped up our ballroom dancing and even beat some of the younger couples in the swing contest. My mind was working better, too. I just plain felt good all over – mind and body – and finally learned what it is to experience real well-being. Too bad I had to get sick in order to learn to eat right instead of eating right to keep from getting sick.
Why was I feeling so good? The answer seemed clear: I was putting the right fuel into my body that made it run better. At that time – as a father of eight, author of 28 books, and a pediatrician at the peak of his career – I was going to do everything I could to keep my health up and not let the cancer reoccur. Talk about motivation! During my quests for what constitutes good health I devoured books and articles about supplements and discovered that one of the secrets of good health is to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables that contain thousands of disease-fighting chemicals called “phytonutrients.” I call them “phytos” for short. The same phytos that help keep the plants healthy help keep our bodies healthy. Even thousands of years ago Hippocrates said, “let food be thy medicine.” As I studied the parade of supplements out there, I concluded that whatever supplement I take must have good science and make good sense.
That’s how I came across Juice Plus+®. It had good science behind it and made good sense – a whole food based supplement! Whole foods, a bunch of the healthiest fruits and vegetables, juiced and dried at low temperatures, removing the water and most of the sugar, salt and bulk. These nutritious juice powders are then put into capsules and chewables! Intrigued by this concept of packaged phytos, I realized that my life depended upon eating the right foods and taking the right supplements. So, I did my life-saving detective work. While visiting the company where Juice Plus+® is made I saw firsthand the care and quality that went into this product. In examining their independent research I discovered that researchers had measured the blood levels and found that disease-fighting “phytos” go way up after taking Juice Plus+® – and they had published their results in a peer-reviewed medical journal. This was a vital discovery since it’s not what’s on the package label that’s important, it’s how much gets into the body. Finally I grilled the company executives. They were honorable people. The combination of good science, good sense, and a reputable company convinced me that this would be my supplement of choice.
Since taking Juice Plus+® daily and following an overall healthy eating and exercise program I have not even had so much as a cold, even though my wonderful little patients share their germs with me everyday. The parents of children who are sick a lot often thank me: “Since my children have been taking Juice Plus+® they haven’t been sick as often.” Juice Plus+® is now the only whole food based supplement I take. I’m pleased to recommend the joy of taking Juice Plus+® to everyone who takes their health seriously.
To order Juice Plus+® capsules or any other Juice Plus+® product, click here.
Do your children get sick all the time?
Do you frequently feel tired and run-down?
Is it nearly impossible to get your children to eat fruits and vegetables?
Are you lacking the recommended 7-13 servings of raw fruits and vegetables each day?
If the answer to any of these is yes, then Juice Plus+® is extremely important for you and your family.
For many years the National Institutes of Health, the American Cancer Society, the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and every other national health association has emphasized the importance of eating at least five servings of raw fruits and vegetables every day. The health benefits of this are numerous, including:
- Protection against cancer
- Stronger immune system
- Prevention of chronic illness
- Protection against heart disease
- Slows down the effects of aging
These benefits are not only due to vitamins and minerals, but also from the enzymes, antioxidants, phytonutrients, and fiber contained within the raw fruits and vegetables. There are many more potential benefits of these nutrients such as improved intellectual function, better eyesight, and increased energy level. In short, our bodies simply function more efficiently.
How many of us actually eat 7-13 servings of raw fruits and vegetables every day? Some Americans may eat an orange with breakfast and maybe an apple with lunch. We are pretty good at making sure we finish our one or two cooked vegetables at dinnertime. However, virtually all of us fall far short of the quantity of fruits and vegetables we need to protect us from cancer, chronic disease, infection, high cholesterol, and heart disease. Very few of us are receiving the nutrition required to help our bodies run smoothly and efficiently and to maximize our potential for a healthy life.
It is difficult to get adults to consume their share of fruits and vegetables, but trying to coax children – from toddlerhood through the teenage years – to eat enough of them is nearly impossible. Many parents worry about their two-year-old who barely seems to eat anything at all or about their busy teenager-on-the-go who doesn’t even sit down to eat. The nutrients in fruits and vegetables can maximize the physical and intellectual development of our children as they grow through the school-age years.
What is Juice Plus+®? Juice Plus+® is more than extra vitamins and minerals. It is actually a whole food based supplement. The fruit capsules are made from apples, oranges, pineapples, cranberries, peaches, cherries, papayas. The vegetable capsules are made from carrots, parsley, beets, kale, broccoli, cabbage, oat bran, rice bran, spinach, and tomatoes.
How is Juice Plus+® made? The fresh fruits and vegetables are juiced, then dehydrated to a powder form. It’s carefully tested to ensure no pesticides or other contaminants are present in the product. It is never exposed to high temperatures that would destroy the nutritional value of the fruits and vegetables. Most of the vitamins, minerals, active plant enzymes, phytonutrients, antioxidants, and fiber are preserved in the final capsules. When re-hydrated with water, the nutrients are absorbed into our bodies as if we had eaten the fruits and vegetables whole.
Is Juice Plus+® as good as eating fruits and vegetables? There’s no complete substitute for eating the real thing. But how many people actually eat such a wide variety of raw fruits, vegetables and grains every single day? Juice Plus+® is a convenient way to ensure you and your family get all the benefits over time from adding more nutrition from fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet.
But my child already takes a multi-vitamin. Why does she need Juice Plus+®? Juice Plus+® is not a vitamin supplement which contain, at best, only a small number of pre-selected antioxidants. It is a whole food based supplement containing nutrition from the thousands of antioxidants and other nutrients found in fruits and vegetables. Some children may need vitamin supplementation, but every child needs Juice Plus+®.
Is there any scientific proof that Juice Plus+® really works? To my knowledge, no other nutritional product in history has been subjected to as rigorous scientific investigations as Juice Plus+®, which has been investigated by scores of scientists at leading hospitals and universities all over the world. The results of 12 such studies have already been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals – and numerous other studies are currently underway. The published studies indicate that Juice Plus+® delivers key antioxidants that are absorbed by the body, reduces oxidative stress, promotes cardiovascular wellness in several ways, helps support a healthy immune system, and helps protect DNA.
This all may sound complicated, but the simple truth is that Juice Plus+® is the best way to get your entire family to reap more of the healthful benefits of a diet rich in raw fruits and vegetables. Juice Plus+® comes in two forms:
- capsules: adults or children
- chewables: adults or children
To Your Good Health,
Dr. Bill, Dr. Bob, and Dr. Jim
To order Juice Plus+ capsules or any other Juice Plus+ product, click Here