The childhood obesity epidemic

Did you know that September is Childhood Obesity month?

I have to be completely honest, the climbing numbers of our youth that are obese TERRIFIES me. It really does. The future of our children's health is very grim according to the latest news reports. Did you know that childhood obesity has more than tripled over the last 30 years?

If this trend continues, today's youth will be battling a host of preventable diseases, and have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, as well as type 2 diabetes.

Overweight and obesity are associated with increased risk for many types of cancer, including cancer of the breast, colon, endometrium, esophagus, kidney, pancreas, gall bladder, thyroid, ovary, cervix, and prostate, as well as multiple myeloma and Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

This is not a matter to be taken lightly; we as parents, grandparents, teachers, doctors, and role models need to take action now. I'm not talking about lip service either -- we must emulate positive role models for our kids by our own lifestyle choices. Set a positive example for the youth in your life, and it's likely they will take notice and follow your lead. Incorporate healthy eating into family meals, and make exercise a priority.

It's a matter of life or death for our future generations. What can you do to make a difference today?

Put some muscle into it!

Yesterday I raged war -- war against soap scum that had decided to cake itself within my bath tub. I sprayed several different hard-core-not environmentally-friendly cleaners with limited success. The crud still remained.

So, I jumped in there with a nylon pan scrubber and decided to give it a whirl. WOW! It worked like a charm, without any harsh chemicals or fumes.

As I was scrubbing, I had an epiphany; you can find opportunities to incorporate a workout session in the least likely of places, such as the bath tub. My biceps got a killer workout scrubbing the soap scum and I now have a crystal clean tub to boot!

Little changes in your routine have a cumulative affect, and can offer huge benefits to your fitness level.

Strive to find a way to give your muscles some exercise every day -- in no time you will notice increased strength and stamina, and some nice muscle tone too!

Migraines & Exercise

Just last week I was discussing the benefits of exercise with one of my clients who happens to suffer from migraine headaches. While many believe exercise is a trigger for migraines, that is not always the case.

There are many potential triggers for a migraine:

Not eating properly before exercising and causing a dramatic drop in blood sugar to occur

Not taking in enough fluid and becoming dehydrated while exercising

Starting a new eating plan and a new exercise plan at the same time

Attempting strenuous exercise without warming up properly

To pinpoint exertion-related migraine triggers, clients should keep an exercise log, which should include specific information:

Time of day when exercising

Last meal prior to workout

Fluid intake

Medication details

By keeping a detailed log of when and where the migraines attack, you will be much better equipped to pinpoint the trigger for your migraines.

The best type of exercise for those suffering from migraines is regular, moderate aerobic exercise, at least 30 minutes three times a week.

Regular exercise, coupled with a healthy diet, can hopefully reduce the number of migraines as well as the intensity.
So don't be so quick to dismiss exercise as your migraine trigger - our bodies were made to move!

Be well!