One area I wanted to highlight is that water can be key in a healthy gastrointestinal system. Drinking proper amounts of water can assist the body in breaking down food, in particular fiber and fats, and also allow for a smoother transition of food through your intestines.

An unhealthy intestinal system can create many chronic and serious health problems. Through an unhealthy diet, many people may experience such problems as reflux, heartburn, gas, diarrhea or constipation, Irritable Bowel System, gallstones and ulcers. Diet is also key in managing inflamed bowel conditions such as Crohn’s.

To keep your digestive tract healthy, start by drinking your water. In addition, there are others things you can do to improve your digestive system. The top five tips for gastrointestinal health are:

1. Cut down on eating fats — eating foods with high fat content can slow down the process of breaking down food, allowing it to stay in the stomach longer.
2. Eat Fiber — Make sure you have a healthy balance of soluble and insoluble fiber. Be cautious to slowly increase the amount of fiber in your diet and drinking water will help the body to tolerate the increased fiber.
3. Limit caffeine and alcohol — drinking too much of either of these can upset your stomach.
4. Stay on an eating schedule — eat your meals and snacks at consistent times through the day so that your body can be in a routine. Also, do not eat too close to bedtime. This can slow the metabolic process, and by lying flat as you sleep, promote heartburn and reflux.
5. Manage stress – Stress and your reaction to stressful events can cause many gastrointestinal issues. Make sure you have healthy outlets such as exercise, mediation, yoga or even just quiet time to yourself.

And remember, annual physicals are not just important for adults. Your children need to see their pediatrician regularly as well. Just as adults have screenings at different ages, children need to have their immunizations on time. With school right around the corner and the hectic schedules about to begin, take this opportunity for the whole family to get a check up. And particularly for adults, ask which health screenings you are due to receive. Although there are general guidelines for screenings, family history and your overall health will dictate which screening your physician will recommend. Your physician is the ultimate guide for your screening schedule. The following are my top five screening to inquire about:

1. Breast Cancer — generally women should start receiving annual mammograms at the age of 40 unless family history dictates sooner.
2. Colorectal Cancer — a colonoscopy for men and women is recommended at age 50.
3. Prostate Cancer — most men should have a prostate exam at age 50.
4. Blood Pressure and Cholesterol — monitor both beginning at age 20 and your health care provider will most likely take it annually.
5. Weight Gain — regardless of your age, make sure your physician knows about even moderate weight gain. Obesity is the precursor for many other health complications.

I reached out to one of my friends, physical therapist Lisa Chase, who I have known though my association with the WTA (Women’s Professional Tennis Association) and Serena Williams. Lisa  was  as Director of Sports Sciences & Medicine, Athlete Care and Primary Health Care Provider for the WTA Tour from 2001-2009. Lisa is also an Adjunct Professor of Medicine at Michigan State University in the College of Osteopathic Medicine. Along with her partner Mark Bookhout, she developed an online exercise system for physical therapists to use with clients (rehablinks.net).

Here are two of the excercises Lisa recommends:

Half kneeling off floor:

• Place towel or mat on floor and kneel on your left knee with right foot in front of you. Both knees should be bent to 90 degrees and your base of support should be as narrow as possible (about 6 inches wide between knee of one leg and heel of the other).
• Lift knee off towel just a few inches and place hands in front of each other with palms facing away from your body. Hold position for 10-30 seconds then return to starting position.

Half kneeling with disc:

• Place towel or mat on floor and kneel on your left knee with right foot in front of you on balance disc.
• Both knees should be bent to 90 degrees and your base of support should be as narrow as possible (about 6 inches wide between knee of one leg and heel of the other).
• Lift knee off towel just a few inches and place hands in front of each other with palms facing away from your body. Hold position for 10-30 seconds then return to starting position.

1. Fresh Figs — They provide good carbohydrates along with a multitude of B vitamins, calcium and potassium to help ensure peak muscle function.
2. Orange — Rich in natural sugars for a quick energy boost, they also provide vitamin C, increasing iron absorption.
3. Almonds — They contain good amounts of iron and some B vitamins, helping your brain, nerves and muscles to function properly.
4. Water — Dehydration leads to feelings of fatigue, so consuming adequate amounts offresh, pure water can help fight fatigue and sustain your energy level.
5. Lentils — Beans are a great source of fiber, which translates to a slow release of energy

I’m sure you’ve heard of the Mediterranean diet at some point. This diet is based on the concept that one should consume plant based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts, substitute butter for healthy fats like olive or canola oil, reduce intake of red meat — we discussed the benefits of this practice in last week’s column— while consuming poultry and fish at least twice a week. In fact, on this diet, it is even ideal to drink a glass of red wine, but remember moderation, of course.

According to the Mayo Clinic, a total body analysis of 1.5 million healthy adults on the Mediterranean diet determined these individuals were shown to posses lower risk of heart disease, reduced incidence of cancer and cancer death, reduced risk of chronic diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, and overall reduced risk of cardiovascular mortality.

In fact, “most, if not all major scientific organizations encourage healthy adults to adapt a style of eating like that of the Mediterranean diet for prevention of major chronic diseases.”

More recently, in an article published in the April 30 edition of The New York Times, the Mediterranean diet was linked to enhanced brain function.

In the largest study of its kind published in The Official Journal of the American Academy of Neurology on April 30, 17,478 mentally healthy men and women aged 45 and older were evaluated to determine “the relationship of greater adherence to Mediterranean diet and likelihood of incident cognitive impairment (ICI).”

It was found that individuals with a higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet were associated with “lower likelihood of ICI before and after adjustment for potential co-founders including demographic characteristics, environmental factors, vascular risk factors, depressive symptoms, and self-reported health status.” To get to the point, those who adhered to this diet were 19 percent less likely to become cognitively impaired than those who did not.

However, while it was found that race — African American vs. Caucasian — did not play a factor in cognitive ability, diabetes did. Researchers determined that of those evaluated, subjects with diabetes “had no cognitive improvements from the diet.”

Dr. Simon Ridley, head of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, is skeptical of these finding, however, stating, “it’s important to note that this study didn’t look at dementia and it would be useful to see whether the people in this study went on to develop the condition,” adding, “ultimately, long-term controlled trials will be needed to discover whether any particular diet can protect against cognitive decline.”

For examples on the specifics of the diet, let’s identify its key components.

According to the Mayo Clinic, “residents of Greece eat very little red meat and average nine servings a day of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables.” Because of this eating style, “The Mediterranean diet has been associated with a lower level of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol — the “bad” cholesterol that’s more likely to build up deposits in your arteries.”

Nuts are high in fat, but low in saturated fat, making them an ideal choice to be added to your diet. However, since nuts are 80 percent calories from fat, they should be consumed “generally no more than a handful a day.”

Whole grains are low in trans fats, so make sure to consider this when purchasing bread. Remember though, butter is not recommended as a spread. Try dipping the bread in olive oil instead. In regards to dairy, “switch to skim milk, fat-free yogurt and low-fat cheese.”

For protein options, limit red meat intake, and substitute with fish and poultry. It is recommended to eat fish at least once or twice a week, however, avoid fried fish (or any fried foods for that matter) as it is high in saturated fat.

For more specifics into the benefits and findings behind the Mediterranean diet, consider reading my book, “Maximum Energy for Life,” published by John Wiley & Sons (2002). In it, you will learn a 21-day strategic plan to feel great, reverse the aging process and optimize your health.

The “sunshine” vitamin is also important for strength and fitness.

I have spoken in favor of proper supplementation time and time again, and today I’d like to further that notion with a lesson on vitamin D and its many benefits for athletes, including testosterone production and strength gains.

According to a study in the February 2012 issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (official journal of the American College of Sports Medicine), “higher [vitamin D] concentrations are associated with improved cardiovascular outcomes, enhanced immune function and a reduced incidence of cancer.” In some studies, higher concentrations of vitamin D were also shown to increase muscle strength and performance, and were reported to increase serum testosterone levels in men.

In order to maintain and/or increase strength in these groups, you might consider checking your vitamin D levels via a blood test by a physician, because “vitamin D levels are directly associated with both arm and leg muscle strength.” Among other benefits of monitored and properly dosed vitamin D levels are a reported increase in serum testosterone levels for men.

It was found that “middle-aged men treated with 3,332 IU of vitamin D increased total testosterone, biologically active testosterone and free testosterone when compared with baseline over men treated with [a] placebo.” At this time, researchers haven’t fully determined how vitamin D increases androgen (a hormone that stimulates activity of the male sex organ); however, its cause could be due to the fact that vitamin D potentially decreases “the aromatization of testosterone to estrogen.” In other words, vitamin D may increase testosterone and possibly block the conversion of testosterone to estrogen—something a man of any age would welcome.

D3 Is Your Best Bet
While the dosage of vitamin D was specific to middle-aged men, let’s go ahead and discuss proper supplementation for our general audience. It’s important to take precautions when increasing vitamin D levels, because you can, in fact, have too much of it. Because it’s a fat-soluble vitamin—residing in adipose tissue—vitamin D’s excretion time from the body is longer than that of water-soluble vitamins like the B vitamins.

It was noted by the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database that “taking vitamin D for long periods of time in doses higher than 4,000 units per day may cause excessively high levels of calcium in the blood.” As I previously mentioned, before beginning vitamin D supplementation, it’s best to have a physician determine your vitamin D levels via a blood test.

According to the National Institutes of Health, the recommended daily allowances (RDA) are as follows. Remember, vitamin D is measured in International Units, or IU. You will note the age range along with RDA:

• Birth to 12 months: 400 IU

• 1–13 years: 600 IU

• 14–18 years: 600 IU

• 19–70 years: 600 IU

• 71 years and older: 800 IU

I take at least 2,000 IU of vitamin D per day, however, I strongly urge you to consult your physician first before increasing your vitamin D supplementation. You might have a deficiency and require more vitamin D than what I have recommended, but again, a doctor can only establish this through blood work.

The National Institutes of Health states, “In general, levels below 30 nmol/L (12 ng/mL) are too low for bone or overall health, and levels above 125 nmol/L (50 ng/mL) are probably too high. Levels of 50 nmol/L or above (20 ng/mL or above) are sufficient for most people.”

They go on to say that rarely does an individual have a vitamin D level that is too high, but “young people [do] have higher levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D than older people, and males have higher levels than females.”

Maybe you are familiar with vitamin D but do not know which D to take—after all, there are five chemical compositions in the D family. Look for vitamin D as cholecalciferol D3. This is the form found in milk.

It’s important to tell your doctor of any prescriptions you are taking, as vitamins can interfere with certain medications.

Update On Sodium Bicarbonate

In M&B’s November 2012 issue, I wrote that sodium bicarbonate was best paired with beta-alanine in regards to enhancing overall sports performance. However, new research indicates that sodium bicarbonate and creatine may be a stronger pairing.

According to the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, “combining [sodium bicarbonate and creatine] may be advantageous for athletes participating in high-intensity, intermittent exercise.” During high-intensity exercise, athletes can become fatigued due to “muscle energy production, a decline in muscle ATP (a way of storing and using energy), or impaired electrochemical events of muscle contraction-relaxation production.”

Sodium bicarbonate can increase hydrogen-ion buffering capacity, in turn delaying fatigue and increasing overall performance. And when creatine is paired with sodium bicarbonate, it has been hypothesized that, “combining these supplements would increase blood bicarbonate and pH and decrease lactate concentrations.” However, since there has been no creatine-only treatment, “it remains unclear whether combining the two supplements would have an additive effect on exercise performance.” It should be noted, though, that during a test on 100m swim performance, subjects were found to increase their performance levels and times when combining sodium bicarbonate and creatine.

One of the top trainers in the world, Mackie Shilstone has worked with such sports superstars as Roy Jones Jr., Serena Williams and Bernard Hopkins. You can learn more about Mackie by visiting his website at mackieshilstone.com.

Why Vitamin D Matters | Muscle & Body Magazine.

Included in our current selection are: tasty wraps and sandwiches and scratch-made salads, all available at your convenience. Each meal is prepared on a daily basis, and is made from only premium ingredients with the wholesome nutrition you need to keep you going. Stop in and enjoy a fresh, delicious meal anytime! More menu items and additional locations coming in the very near future.

Current Mackie GNC retail location offering Your Nutrition Delivered:
2901 Magazine Street
New Orleans, LA
504-897-1030

www.yournutritiondelivered.com
Pre-order nutritious meals delivered to your home, any time.