Dr. Chet’s Health Memos
If it’s in the health news today, I’ll be writing about it as soon as I read the research, both old and new. With my email Health Memos, you’ll know more about making lifestyle choices that will help you get and keep good health. These free, concise updates on health are emailed to subscribers twice a week. Subscribe today and get a free MP3, in English or Spanish, of Dr. Chet’s Top Ten Tips—Small Changes for a Healthier Life.
Kids and Cooking
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoMany people are still finishing up their vacations so I thought I’d tackle something a little lighter than a complicated study this week. Sometimes I’m bombarded with so many events and observations, a message theme just appears; recent events are pointing me to kids and cooking.
First, it’s back-to-school time. What seemed to begin the day after school let out—the back-to-school sales—has kept kids in every ad and commercial.
Second, the NBC show Foodfighters featured a 12-year-old girl who was inspired to cook healthier meals when her . . .
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Further Research: Iron and ADHD
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoThe final study I’ll review this week turned into three. In my original research, a study from 2012 demonstrated a tendency for children with ADHD to have low levels of ferritin (1), a protein that can store iron until it’s needed to make energy as well as other functions. When I came across the study, I checked to see if any further research had been done. Sure enough, two more studies confirmed that some children with ADHD have low ferritin levels (2,3).
The low ferritin was also associated with insomnia and restless-leg syndrome. The association doesn . . .
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Further Research: Exercise and ADHD
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoOne of the characteristics of children with ADHD is that they seem to have plenty of energy. Too much energy. They want to talk, they want to move, they need to be doing something. Today’s study examined the research on children with ADHD and exercise.
Researchers conducted a meta-analysis on studies that examined the effects of exercise on the symptoms associated with ADHD. Those symptoms include inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, anxiety, learning and memory difficulties. The analysis showed that even short-term aerobic activity improved almost every symptom of ADHD.
What constitutes short-term aerobic activity? Running, skipping, jumping . . .
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Further Research: Fat Intake and Learning
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoI always find more research than I can actually use; either the study was too small or the study didn’t exactly apply to the topic. It doesn’t mean it wasn’t good research, but I have to stop somewhere. This week, I’m going to share my take on three research articles I found when I prepared for the ADHD webinar.
The first involves an examination of dietary fat in kids and their ability to learn. The researchers examined the diets of 70 children 9 to 11 years old. Their hypothesis was that as the ratio of omega . . .
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How to Exercise in the Heat
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoWhen the temperature rises, with or without humidity, and you have to get that workout done outdoors, the solution is high-intensity interval training, but only if you’ve been cleared by your physician and cardiologist for intense exercise. Walking, running, swimming, or biking, intervals can help you get an intense workout in a short time. That’s the approach I used in Austin, and you can, too.
The location where I stayed in Austin was on a very hilly road—more mountain than hill. I have nothing like that kind of hill anywhere near my neighborhood. The approach was . . .
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Exercise and the Heat
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoHow do you know if you should exercise outdoors during the day in the heat and humidity we’re having this summer? I’ll make it simple for you: don’t.
Unless you can exercise in the morning before the sun rises, stay indoors. When I ran in Austin this past weekend, it was before the sun came up and the day was overcast to begin. It was in the 70s but not hot.
Our cooling mechanism is the problem when exercising in the high heat and humidity. If the outside temperature, combined with the humidity, is too high, your . . .
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Heat, Water, and Sports Drinks
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoWhile I was in Austin doing a seminar this past weekend, I posted a thought on Facebook about drinking fluids when it’s hot. And it was hot in Austin; the temperature topped out at 100 degrees. It’s also been hot in Grand Rapids with temperatures hitting the 90s with some humidity to make it even worse. If you’re going to work outside in that type of heat and humidity, you have to drink fluids.
Water is important but when you sweat, you lose sodium and potassium as well. You should alternate four ounces of water with four . . .
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Observations from the Road: Fitness vs. a Healthy Heart
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoAs I finish my observations from my last trip, I’m on another trip to Austin to do another seminar. I’m sure I’ll have other things to talk about because I’m always looking and listening.
During my run a week ago in Denver, I repeatedly passed two women who were out for an early morning walk. They carried on a conversation the entire time. I think that’s great; having a walking or running buddy or group can get you moving on those days when you don’t want to, and sometimes the gossip is what gets . . .
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Observations from the Road: Ankle and Wrist Weights
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoAs I was running Sunday morning before the flight home from Denver, a woman about 60 was walking around the lake path. She had on the requisite earphones listening to something, bandana to keep her hair in place, and ankle weights. I don’t see them much anymore and that’s good. Research shows that they provide no benefit and in some cases, can cause harm.
The perceived benefit is that a person wearing ankle weights or carrying weights in their hands when they walk will get some additional benefit, perhaps increasing muscle strength or burning more calories. One would . . .
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Observations from the Road: The Mile-High City
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoWhenever I travel, I observe people and especially what they do. This past weekend was no different as I traveled to Denver to do a seminar. Because Denver is called The Mile-High City, I thought altitude was a great place to begin.
There are at least two things that happen when you move from sea level to 5,000 feet: the oxygen level of the air drops about 3%, and the density of the air decreases. The net effect to the body is that it’s more difficult for the hemoglobin of your blood to saturate with oxygen and . . .
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