Portrait on the Mantel

Excerpts from Elizabeth Quinn article “After Exercise 10 ways to recover quickly after exercise.

Do you know what to do after exercise to speed recovery?  Your post workout routine can have a big impact on your performance gains but most young athletes don’t have a post workout plan.

Recovery is 2nd only to the workout; to repair muscle and tissue.  this is even more critical after a heavy weight training session.  A muscle needs anywhere from 24 to 48 hrs to repair and rebuild and working it again too soon and too intensely can lead to tissue breakdown instead of tissue building.  For weight training routines try to avoid working the same muscles groups on back to back days.

5 Ways to Recover Quicker after Workouts;

1. Rest - One thing many people especially young athletes are unaware of is that, your body growth happens after your workout NOT DURING the work.  For exampely while you sleep your body produces Growth Hormones which are largely responsible for muscle and tissue repair.
2. Replace Fluids – You lose a lot of fluids during a workout be sure to replace those fluids post workout.
3. Eat Properly – After depleting your body’s energy stores, you need to refuel if you expect your body to recover and be ready for the next workout or game.
4. Try Active Recovery – Especially after a workout.  Instead of sitting down, keep moving at a slow pace.  This will promote nutrient and waste products transport throughout the body.
5. Avoid Overtraining – This is not only a physical effect but a physiological effect as well.  If you’re feeling tired and weak, lose your appetite and can’t sleep, you may be training to hard without adequate recovery time between workouts.  Overtraining is a chronic issue, meaning it occurs over time not after just one workout.  Family, social and other things can influence recovery.

Lastly, the best way to recovery from an intense workout or game is to simply listen to your body.  Get to know your bodies signs of telling you when you’re tired or dehydrated or when you need a little more nourishments.  Follow you body and it will not lead you astray.

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Recent news reports and conversations with my teenage kids, gave rise to several thoughts.  We adults have become aware of behaviors our kids have been practicing, since we began giving them cell phones with cameras.  The practice of sextexting.

Of course this isn’t a new phenomenon, although its probably new to many of us old folks.  It seems to have caught a number of us off guard that our lovely little darlings are sending pics of their nude bodyparts to fellow friends.

Frankly, I don’t know why this is alarming; what did we expect juveniles to do with a camera phone?  Fact is many older phone users are and have been doin the same things with their camera phones.

However, what got me thinking was a report my wife was telling me about employers and the online dating crowd use of social networking sites and web search engines to investigate potential employees or possible mates.

It seems that before hiring job applicants HR personnel does a web search of the potential employees name to see what they find and many applicants may be turned down for employment because of what HR finds on a persons social network site.  This goes double for the discerning online dating crowd.

With all the nude photos and rough language which is expressed on many social networking sites, this new trend could become hazardous to the success for the younger generation.

As my son turns 17 today (Happy Birthday), 2 week ago I talked to him about how decision made by many teens his age can alter their plans for the future plans.  Decisions like drinking and driving, practicing unprotected sex and now what they upload to the internet.  Its a different world from where we come from.

The internet has no shelf life.  If you search my name you might find information I uploaded over a decade ago.  As a matter of fact I did and was amazed with what I found still floating around.  We need to now add the internet as part of our conversation with our kids.  They might not understand that what goes on, on the internet stays on the internet.

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This is from a newspaper editorial page write in;

The other day, someone at a store in our town read that a Methamphetamine lab had been found in an old farmhouse in the adjoining county and he asked me a rhetorical question, “Why didn’t we have a drug problem when you and I were growing up?”

I replied, I had a drug problem when I was young: I was drug to church on Sunday morning.  I was drug to church for weddings and funerals.  I was drug to family reunions and community socials no matter the weather.

I was drug by my ears when I was disrespectful to adults. I was also drug to the woodshed when I disobeyed my parents, told a lie, brought home a preacher, or if I didn’t put forth my best effort in everything that was asked of me.

I was drug to the kitchen sink to have my mouth washed out with soap if I uttered a profanity.  I was drug out to pull weeds in mom’s garden and flower beds and cockleburs out of dad’s fields.  I was drug to the homes of family, friends and neighbors to help out some poor soul who had no one to mow the yard, repair the clothesline, or chop some firewood, and if my mother had ever known that I took a single dime as a tip for this kindness, she would have drug me back to the woodshed.

Those drugs are still in my veins and they affect my behavior in everything I do, say or think.  They are stronger than cocaine, crack, or heroin; and if today’s children had this kind of drug problem, America would be a better place.

God bless the parents who drugged us.

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Break the Cycle a teen violence prevention organization reports that only a handful of states have responded to teen dating violence with laws enabling the youthful victims to obtain protective orders equal to the adults.

Grades were given based on several comparable factors between the legal treatment of adult victims of domestic violence and teen victims of dating violence.  Failure was automatically given to states where protective orders are unavailable for teens or where dating relationships are not specifically recognized as a valid means to obtain an order of protection.

National surveys estimate that 1 in 3 youth’s experience dating abuse at some point during their teen years; ranging from a slap in the face to murder.  Despite the high rates of violence states governments do not recognize the seriousness of dating violence among teens.

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The Archives of Internal Medicine have published the largest study of its kind; that older people who eat large amounts of red meat and processed meats face a greater risk of death from heart disease and cancer.  These finding studied more than 1/2 a million men and women and supports long standing evidence that a diet heavy on red meat, hot dogs, bacon and cold cuts are a serious danger to your health.

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Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh showed that overweight people who do not lose weight when they follow an exercise program are likely to suffer form low thyroid function.

Eating causes your blood sugar to rise; the pancreas reacts by releasing insulin into the blood, which drives sugar into working cells.  If you gain fat weight, those cells fill up with fat, which blocks the insulin receptors causing blood sugar levels to rise higher.  And the cycle accelerates; the pancreas continues to release insulin, which is not being absolved by the cells due to the added fat cells.  Your appetite increases, you eat more, which causes the problem to continue to accelerate.

Exercise causes insulin levels to decrease in the blood.  Therefore regular daily exercise keeps both your insulin and blood sugar levels in check.  This is why regular exercise is so important for continued and sustainable weight loss.

There are some people who do exercise regularly but can’t seem to lose weight.  The University of Pittsburgh study may provide answer for this group.  The researchers studied the effects of low thyroid function but normal levels of thyroid hormones on people.  What they found was hypothyroidism will cause muscle to inadequately respond to insulin and rising blood sugar levels, making it next to impossible for these people to lose weight even with regular exercise.

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March is a great time for a National Nutrition month of awareness, although I’m wondering who is responsible for these national declarations of months.  And I guessing who ever is responsible uses words like “National” in hopes that it will give their Month more credibility.

This year’s motto is “Eat Right“, not only eating the “right” foods but also eating the right foods but also at the right time.

Eating After Exercise; Vigorous exercise increases the need for adequate nutrition, approximately 30 minutes after exercise is prime time for refueling.  Choose foods like fruits and veggies with a good portion of protein.

Breakfast; many people routinely skip this meal which force them to over eat in the middle of day.  This can cause people to eat too many poor calories and consume large amounts of caffeinated beverages.  Eating something light before you head out the door, fruits, yogurt or a high fiber cereal make good choices.

Eat Fats; it is true your body does need some fats to maintain a healthy body.  There is a myth that one can eat a diet of zero fat, while it is important to avoid a high fat diet.  A diet which includes fats from nuts and fish are actually advisable.

Eating before you workout; another myth that has existed for too many years is that you should not eat before exercising.  Although you might not want to eat at an all you can eat buffet, eating a meal sufficient with the caloric demands of your workout is definitely advisable.  By doing so you’ll notice more energy during your workout thus allowing you to work longer and with more intensity.

Eat before going grocery shopping; this is the best advice I’ve ever heard.  Shopping for groceries on an empty stomach is the best way to buy more junk than you need and spend more money than you intended.  Instead grab some fruit on your way to the grocery store.

Eating at Night; Too many people eat the bulk of the calories during the evening hours leading up to bedtime.  In fact those who skip meals (Breakfast) during the day, indulge too often at night.  This way of eating does not provide the brain and muscles with the fuel needed for daily activity.  It is better to spread meals throughout the day then eat lightly at night.  You might try a cup of tea after dinner or even brushing your teeth, which might deter you from eating again.

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Medicare offers incentives for doctors who e-prescribe.  The research institute of medicine report that U S pharmacist make over 150 million phone calls per year to doctors offices to clarify handwritten prescription notes and over 1.5 million people are injured each year due to these errors.

Since 2006, Medicare has had the system of e-prescribing in place and starting this year doctors who use the system regularly will be financially rewarded over those old schoolers who wish to continue writing prescription long hand.

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Canadian researchers have uncovered an error in the diagnosis of asthma.  They’ve noted over the last 2 decades the numbers of asthma diagnosis have doubled, but they believe that 30 % of the diagnosed patients were erroneously diagnosed.

Roughly 1 in 20 people have asthma and 1 in 10 overweight or obese people have the condition.  The misdiagnoses seem to occur because physicians are basing their diagnosis on patient’s complaints, without following proper medical procedures.  Medical recommendations are for doctors to test asthma using a Spirometer, to measure lung volume and airway flow.

Problems associated with misdiagnosis; drugs prescribed to patients are very expensive, they come with a host of adverse side effects and if the patient has a medical condition it needs to be properly diagnosed and treated.

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Farm raised Tilapia and Catfish was found to contain less than 1/8th the amount of omega-3’s found in farmed Salmon or Trout.  This is from research done by Wake Forest University School of Medicine.  Tilapia and Catfish also had much larger amounts of omega-6 fatty acids than Salmon or Trout.  The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 in Tilapia and Catfish was about 11 to 1, about the same amount you’d expect to find in chicken.

Fish is normally recommended because of its high omega-3 content.  Omega-3 fatty acids produce Prostaglandins that turn down your imunity to help prevent inflammation problems like heart disease and certain cancers.  One reason for the increase risk of what is called the “Western Diet” is it’s high omega-6 to omega-3 ratios.  Omega-6 is found in our high consumption vegetable oils and low consumption of fresh water fish.

Farmed raised fish, like Tilapia and Catfish are feed corn.  Corn fed fish is inexpensive and found in abundance in fish sticks, fish burgers and artificial crab meat.

To increase your consumption of omega-3 fatty acid choose fish like Salmon, Trout, Tuna, Sardines, Anchovies, Mackerel or Herring.

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