Several years ago I wrote a few articles showing that exercise, yoga and other strategies were helpful at regulating high blood pressure (BP). Even small reductions in blood pressure can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and kidney failure. The risks associated with hypertension are continuous – this means that with each 2mm…
Since 1979 Professor Peter Elwood and his team of researchers from Cardiff University School of Medicine have tracked the lifestyle habits of 2500 men aged 45-59 (at the start of the study). They found that men that followed 5 habits had 70% less chance of developing diabetes, 60% reduced incidents of heart attacks and strokes, 40% fewer cancers,…
As mentioned in an earlier post, relaxation has many, many benefits. Through his extensive study of relaxation, Herbert Benson from the Harvard Medical School has put together an 8-step sequence that consistently elicits the relaxation response. The sequence has been proven scientifically and has been used for decades. Step 1: Pick a focus word, phrase,…
The word ‘stress’ has become ubiquitous, but what exactly does it mean? It’s probably in the 1920s that it was first used in its present context. Walter Cannon used it to describe the process where external factors disturbed the body’s natural equilibrium. Around the same time, Hans Selye described stress as the non-specific response of…
Should passive (static) stretching form part of our pre-activity warm-up or not? Ever since I can remember I’ve had this discussion with colleagues, clients and training partners. People usually have a firm view on the subject and stick to it doggedly. Over the last few years the evidence base has mounted; static stretching before exercise…
What are the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids? Before we delve into that, it’s important to distinguish between 3 types of omega-3 fatty acids: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) Our bodies don’t produce ALA, so it’s essential to our diet. We can convert ALA into DHA and EPA but this…
Our diets have changed considerably over time. Today, diets in industrialised countries have a higher composition of saturated fat, trans fatty acids, omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and a lower composition of omega-3 PUFA than ancestral diets. The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 is around 15:1 and it’s thought that an optimum ratio should be…
Easter is upon us and as usual, we’re about to indulge in fistfuls of chocolate….so I thought I’d remove the guilt by telling you about some of the potential benefits! Extensive research has shown that the cocoa in chocolate can help: improve arterial blood flow and decrease blood pressure, improve glucose and fat metabolism, and…
Last week we discovered that exercise is very effective at decreasing high blood pressure but what else can help? For those with hypertension, you’ll be relieved to hear that there are several things you can do to decrease your blood pressure and cut down the risks of heart disease and stroke. Weight loss. Losing 8kg…
Last month BBC Horizon ran a programme entitled “The Truth About Exercise”. In it Dr Michael Mosley travelled the country speaking to an assortment of Exercise Scientists. One of the first points made was that it takes a lot of exercise to burn calories. In fact, the example provided was that to burn off a…