I was writing about inflammation today and how chronic inflammation is responsible to so many modern day diseases, diabetes being one of them.  I remembered that I had an article in my archives from a year or two ago which may interest you.  The fact is that exercise is essential for our health.

Type 2 diabetes usually appears in people over the age of 40 and is linked to poor lifestyle choices and obesity.  Recently, more children are being diagnosed with the condition, some as young as seven.

The Facts:- 

• 74% rise in new cases of diabetes between 1997 to 2003
• By 2005, more than 4% of the population was classed as having diabetes – twice that of 10 years earlier.
• Rates of diabetes are increasing at a faster rate in the UK than they are in the US
• New cases of type 2 diabetes increased by 69% over the decade.
• Research shows that losing weight can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58%.
• Half a million people with diabetes who have the condition and don’t know it.
• The NHS is spending £1m an hour – 10% of its yearly budget – treating diabetes and its complications!
• Type 2 diabetes affects an estimated 246 million adults worldwide and accounts for 6 percent of all global deaths. 

Diabetes is not only avoidable, but reversible, so long as you follow a healthy diet and take 30 minutes exercise a day.  However, many people find it difficult to fit a 30 minutes workout in each day, but scientists now believe that you can avoid diabetes by taking just 7 minutes exercise a week!  

The key is to make it vigorous so that the body will use the glucose floating around in the blood as its energy supply, thereby helping the body control blood sugar levels.  A scientific study was carried recently on a group of 16 young men who were fairly unfit.  They cycled fast in 30 second bursts 4 times a day twice a week.  After two weeks, there was a 23% improvement in the way in which their body used insulin to clear glucose from the blood stream.

7 minutes a week of fast cycling can prevent and reverse type 2 diabetes

By restricting your intake of calories, it may be possible to improve your health and live longer.  The people of Okinawa practice calorie restriction (CR) and are amongst the longest living people in the world.  We’re not talking starvation diets here, but a healthy, nutritious diet, low in calories.

Mild calorie restriction diet appears to have enormous health benefits

Back in the 1930′s, researchers found that rats and mice kept on a low calorie, healthy diet lived twice as long as expected.  Concrete evidence is hard to come by as research on primates and humans is ongoing.  However, one study of a group of 50 year olds in the USA found that their blood pressure readings were what you would expect in your average 20 year old!   Following a healthy CR  diet would protect you from many of the diseases we now face in the Western world: high cholesterol, diabetes type 2, high blood pressure, heart disease and some cancers.

Another study suggests that slowing the ageing process could have something to do with the hormone T3, involved in thyroid function which regulates metabolism, and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF), an inflammatory molecule.   In an experiment involving 3 group of people – 1) CR, 2) Western diet and 3) Western diet and endurance training  – only in the CR group did researchers find lower levels of T3.  In previous experiments, amimals with low levels of T3 and TNF seemed to live 50% longer.

Two other hormones apparently involved in the ageing process are melatonin (plays a role in sleep patterns) and DHEAs (plays a role in the production of testosterone in men and women).  Food restriction increases the production of melatonin which inhibits the production of DHEA.  Reducing the production of DHEA extends the usable life span of production of DHEA by the adrenals.

Low body weight can affect reproduction but studies in rats show that this was found only in severe CR regimens.  Where CR is very strict – say around 40% reduction in recommended daily calorie allowance, rats and mice were 50% smaller in adulthood!   So if you imagine a person who would ordinarily weigh around 63kgs/10st weighing in at 32kgs/5st!  Reproduction was also affected at these levels.

In conclusion, a mild CR diet which is nutritionally sound seems to bring enormous health benefits, but research has only scratched the surface of this fascinating subject.

Minerals are a vital part of our diet for building bones and teeth, turning food into energy and controlling body fluids inside and outside cells.  Just like vitamins, the best way to get minerals is through a healthy, balanced diet.  And again, just like vitamins, every so often a story will come along claiming that a certain mineral is the next miracle cure for something, for example, “chromium will combat your desire for chocolate” was one such claim.  But the correct balance is essential.  Here are the main minerals and trace elements:-

The correct balance is essential so eat a healthy, varied diet

Calcium

• Source:  Dairy and green leafy vegetables
• Function: Building strong bones and teeth, nerve function, blood clotting and muscle contraction.
• Deficiency: Poor teeth and brittle bones
• RDA: 800mg

Iron

• Source: Oily fish, red meat, egg yolks, green leafy vegetables, whole grains,nuts
• Function: Red and white blood cells, muscle function and healthy immune system.
• Deficiency: Fatigue, irritability, lack of concentration.
• RDA: 14mg

Magnesium

• Source: Green leafy vegetables, whole grains and nuts.
• Function: Builds strong teeth, bones and muscles, converts energy from food, repairs cells, regulates body temperature.
• Deficiency: Muscle spasms.  Has been linked with high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes and weak bones.
• RDA: 300mg

Zinc

• Source: Meat, shellfish, milk, brown rice, whole grains.
• Function: Immune system, involved in the breakdown of protein, fats and carbohydrates.
• Deficiency: Problems with skin and eyes, growth problems in children, loss of hair, taste and smell, diarrhoea, slow healing wounds.
• RDA: 15mg

Selenium

• Sources: Nuts, eggs, dairy, meat, oily fish, green vegetables, wholewheat
• Function: Supports the liver and is an anti-oxidant.
• Deficiency: Chest pains, hair loss, low resistance to disease.
• RDA:  100mcg

Potassium

• Sources: Found in most food, but destroyed by overcooking. Most fruit and vegetables.  Not present in oils, fats or sugars.
• Function: Regulates the body’s fluid levels and is important for the nervous system, heart rhythms and muscle function.
• Deficiency: Unlikely as it is plentiful in most foods.
• RDA: 3,500mg

 Sodium

• Sources: Table salt
• Function:  Same as potassium
• Deficiency: Unlikely.  The opposite is normally true and it is very important to watch our levels.
• RDA: 1,600mg

 Iodine

• Sources: Seafood, fish, kelp and seaweeds
• Function: Required for proper function of the thyroid
• Deficiency: Hypothyroidism – underactive thyroid gland
• RDA: 150mcg

A couple of my clients have suffered from this condition, but have managed to make a full recovery by introducing some simple measures.  It happens when there is too much tension placed on the plantar fascia, a tendon supporting the arch of the foot, resulting in pain in the bottom of the heel.  This can result in tiny tears which become irritated and inflamed.

SYMPTOMS

The most noticeable sign is pain in the bottom of the heel.  It may start off as fairly mild, aggravated by exercise (though not necessary felt during) or after standing for long periods, but can appear quite suddenly.  You may be most aware of a stabbing pain when you get up in the morning, walk upstairs or stand on tiptoe.  It may be accompanied by swelling.

Pain in the bottom of the heel could be plantar fasciitis

CAUSES

• Overuse:  it is quite common in runners or from step and aerobics classes, especially if the shoes are no longer giving the support required or not enough attention is being paid to technique.  Sometimes it can happen when you increase the intensity of your training programme: run that extra mile, raise the height of the step, hill training, extra higher impact classes.
• Poor footwear: as mentioned above, good sports shoes (changed regularly) are an absolute necessity.  Wearing high heels often is a problem, as the Achilles tendon and the calf muscles are constantly contracted and get short, so when you take your high heels off, they are then stretched beyond where they want to go.  Your foot is arched too, so tension can occur in this way.
• Foot mechanics: flat feet, high arches or abnormal walking patterns can affect on the distribution of body weight through the foot, thereby putting strain on the plantar fascia.
• Health issues: arthritis can cause inflammation in the tendons.  The condition is also seen in people with diabetes, although the reasons for this are not clear.

RISK FACTORS

If you are flat footed, have high arches or live in high heels, you are likely to be more at risk.  Anyone who is physically active is more likely to suffer at some time or another.  Being overweight and getting older will also put you at risk.  Pregnancy not only adds extra weight, but hormones cause ligaments to relax, so extra care with foot wear would be advisable.  Take the weight off your feet:  you are more at risk if you stand for long periods of time. 

TREATMENT 

Once diagnosed, it is very important to get the condition treated.  Apart from the inconvenience, it could cause other problems – knee, hip or back – where you are compensating for the pain.  There are a few things to try yourself before resorting to medical intervention:-

• R.I.C.E: this stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation and for best results needs to be applied as soon as you notice the injury (or any other injury).  If you think it was caused by exercise, you need to rest – hard I know.  If the heel is swollen, wrap some ice in a plastic bag and then a tea-towel and press gently against the swelling for about 15 minutes.  You can bandage the heel – this can reduce the pain as can the ice treatment, but be careful not to bandage too tightly.  Lastly, when possible, keep the foot elevated, above the heart.  So when you go to bed, rest your foot on a couple of cushions.  When you get back to your exercise programme, take the time to build up slowly, take a look at your shoes and if it happens again, you may need to seek medical advise and further investigation.
• Stretch: can’t emphasise this enough, but it is vital to do a warm-up prior to exercise and really stretch out afterwards in order to avoid injuries.  The most useful stretches are for the calf muscles: step one foot a metre or so back, feet facing straight ahead, front knee bent behind the toes and ease the back heel towards the floor.  Take the feet further apart if necessary.  Then step the foot about half a metre in (closer together) and bend both knees to feel the stretch a little lower, just above the heel. 

You may need to see a podiatrist and possibly be fitted for orthotics to correct poor foot mechanics.  You should take more care with footwear if this is the cause.  Even if you are not particularly active, the above self-help plan will help and provide some relief.

Over the past few years one of the popular buzz words has been “Super foods”.  As the link between poor diet and disease has strengthened, so the list of Super foods has grown.  We have been bombarded with words such as free radicals, antioxidants and phytonutrients (see the nutrition directory), but what are they and how can our diet help? 

Simply put, the body is made up of many cells, which in turn are made up of atoms.  These contain electrons and a free radical is basically an unpaired electron.  The unpaired electron will then go on the hunt for another electron so as to become a pair again in order to make the atom stable.  This is called oxidisation and creates a chain reaction of cell damage.  Antioxidants can prevent this. 

Until recently, nutritionists thought of fruit, vegetables and whole grains as valuable in terms of their vitamin and mineral content.  We now know that they contain compounds called phytochemicals which play an important part in reducing the risk of  various diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease, amongst many other conditions. 

Fruit & Veg

In order to improve your phytonutrient intake, remember the 5 rules: 

1. Eat at least 5 or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day, a portion being an apple or an orange.  Vegetables are a little more difficult to break down into portions, but two thirds of your plate should be made up of vegetables.
2. Aim for a wide variety of produce:  see how many different types you can eat in one week.
3. Eat the dark green leafy vegetables regularly and be sure to include plenty of broccoli.
4. Look at the colours when choosing fruit: the dark orange and deep reds (cherries) are particularly high in carotenoids.
5. Include whole grains: brown rice, oats and granary bread for example.

Research is continuing to reveal the sort of levels of phytonutrients we should be taking in, but if you follow the rules above, you should be getting plenty in just the right balance, without resorting to supplements, especially if you choose organic.

In order to keep our bodies fit and healthy, it is vital that we have a varied fitness programme which includes cardiovascular exercise on a regular basis.   You must challenge your heart and lungs in order to improve their strength and efficiency and keep your body-fat percentage to an acceptable level in order to avoid such health problems as heart disease and diabetes.   There are lots of ways to do this and I’ll be posting my ideas here each month.   It’s important that you find something you enjoy doing otherwise you are unlikely to keep it up and you need realistic goals which you can build up to gradually. Why not try the downloads I have selected – some audio, some video.

Cardiovascular (CV) exercise is the body’s ability to get oxygen to the muscles on a continuous basis whilst performing an energetic activity over an extended period of time.  Aerobic exercise is continuous, rhythmic and involves the major muscle groups, for example, walking and running at a challenging pace.

Perfect cardiovascular exercise