Does It Matter When You Exercise?

 

Does it really matter what time of the day you exercise, or if you always exercise at the same time? Is morning exercise better than evening exercise? Or is this just another thing that people love to argue about?

To find out, researchers in Australia randomly allocated 40 sedentary, overweight individuals to complete a supervised, 12-week exercise program where participants walked and did resistance training three times per week for an hour. The study divided the participants into morning or evening groups.

At the end of 12 weeks, average cardiovascular fitness increased equally in both groups. Body fat and waist size also decreased equally. Both groups reported feeling less likely to overeat in response to stress than when they entered the program.

"Exercise training improved body composition and some appetite outcomes, although changes were inconsistent and largely independent of exercise-timing. In the absence of dietary manipulation, the effect of diurnal exercise timing on appetite and body composition appear trivial compared to the overall benefits of exercise participation," concluded the researchers. In other words, it makes no difference when you exercise. Just exercise at whatever time works best for you.

Does Protein "Build" Muscle

 

There is no question that protein is the key building block for muscle tissue. Or that many people are not getting enough protein in their diet. (The RDA for protein is 0.36 grams per pound of body weight, while many experts recommend 0.50 grams). But does consuming more protein promote muscle growth?

A recent study in Canada randomly assigned 22 older women to drink two cups of whole milk, skim milk or almond milk daily for three days during which they did their normal walking routine. Then three more days when they walked 50% more steps than usual. The dairy drinkers (either whole or skim) were getting about 25% more protein every day than the almond milk drinkers.

Muscle growth (as measured by muscle biopsies for protein synthesis) increased when the women did 50% more walking than usual. The amount and type of protein consumed made no difference.

This is only one study but it suggests that while it is very important to be getting at least the minimum RDA for protein every day, consuming more protein is not likely to promote muscle growth. It is the exercise that is the key.

Supplements and Depression

 

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, over 8% of Americans suffer from clinical depression during any given 2 week period. That is over 2.5 million people. But that is 2016 data. Indications are that the numbers have risen substantially during the Covid era, especially among young people. Antidepressant use has skyrocketed since 1999, leading it to become one of the most popular types of pharmaceutical drugs in the U.S., with approximately one in six Americans using them.

Given all of that, it is not a big surprise that supplement manufacturers view it as a marketing bonanza. "11 Herbs and Supplements to Help Fight Depression" offers the Healthline Nutrition web site (a dicey place to get nutrition information). "Helps Support Emotional Health" says Country Life Omega 3 Mood supplement. Do any of these actually do anything more than empty your wallet?

In a 2021 study published in JAMA Network, researchers assigned over 18,000 adults to take a daily does of fish oil. None of the participants had experienced depression in the previous 2 years. After following the participants for 5 years, the risk of depression was found to be higher in the fish oil takers (although not a lot higher). The same trial also studied the use of Vitamin D - with similar results.

If you are or think you may be suffering from depression, don't depend on supplements to help you overcome it. Don't count on them to lower your risk of developing it either. No matter what the bottle says. See your doctor or a mental health professional. Exercise. But save your money.

Supplement Labels

 

We have talked a lot about food nutrition labels, what they contain and how to decode all the misleading ways manufacturers try to trick you. Supplement labels, while very similar, have their own little tricks. Here is what to look for.

Before you even get to the details, understand that the FDA regulates dietary supplements under a different set of regulations than those covering foods and drug products. Under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA):

• Manufacturers and distributors of dietary supplements and dietary ingredients are prohibited from marketing products that are adulterated or misbranded.  That means that these firms are responsible for evaluating the safety and labeling of their products before marketing to ensure that they meet all the requirements but are not required to submit any sort of proof to the FDA.

• The FDA has the authority to take action against any adulterated or misbranded dietary supplement product but only after it reaches the market and some harm has been caused.

Also, supplement manufacturers are prohibited from claiming that their product will treat or cure any condition or disease. Never-the-less they do not shy away from vague claims about their product's ability to "support", "boost" or "strengthen" things like memory, immunity or even slow ageing. This is perfectly legal but take such claims with a healthy dose of skepticism. Another favorite supplement claim is that is is "natural". This has no meaning and can be ignored.

Another claim you will often see on supplement labels is that the facility where they were produced is an "FDA Registered Facility".  This does mean that the facility has registered with the FDA and may occasionally be subject to an inspection. It does not mean that is is "approved" in any way by the FDA. As with food products, "USDA Organic" means that the product is free from certain ingredients and most pesticides and that only non-GMO ingredients are used.

Finally, there is the Supplement Facts panel. This corresponds to the Nutrition Facts label on food products. The FDA requires that serving size, ingredients and percent of the recommended daily value per serving for each ingredient be listed. But the agency does nothing to confirm that what is listed is what is actually in the package. So look for a certification seal from an independent testing laboratory such as ConsumerLab, UL, USP or NSF International.

It is common practice for companies to manufacture their products outside the USA where even the weak regulation of the FDA does not apply. Your best bet is to purchase only from a company that you have researched and, ideally, that manufactures its products in the US or Europe. Clearly this is not a case where shopping for the lowest price is a good strategy.

Are People Living Longer?

 

Are people living longer lives today than in the past? On first thought, the answer seems to be an overwhelming Yes! If you Google "are people living longer" you will find dozens of articles confirming it. But lets take a closer look.

Life expectancy, the number of years that the average person is expected to live, has indeed increased (at least before the Covid pandemic, which caused a decline in life expectancy). Life expectancy for a male resident of the USA has risen from about 40 years in 1800 to over 78 years in 2019. (It fell by about 2 years by 2021.) That certainly seems like people are living longer.

But averages are funny things. For any average, there are some who will be below average and some who are above, sometimes far below or above. The increase in life expectancy over the last 200 years came about primarily because fewer and fewer people died at very young ages, raising the average. But for those living above an average lifespan, there has been almost no change at all. The very oldest people in ancient Rome lived to be about 100 years old. Just as they do today. Just as they have in the interim. 

So yes, on average people are living longer but only because advances in nutrition and medicine and safety have prevented people from dying young. Of course that is not bad news.

There is some bad news though.

Life expectancy is rising, but we are also spending more time living in poor health. In fact we are now spending more years in poor health than at any time in our history. Although average global life expectancy more than doubled between 1800 and 2017 – from 30 to 73 years – the proportion of people’s lives lived in poor or moderate health has remained unchanged at about 50%. So your longer life means you are going to spend more time sick.

Again this is an average and it is not inevitable. Quality of life chronic diseases are the leading cause of death and disability in the United States. And many of these are the result of lifestyle choices that we make throughout our life. So if you want that extra life expectancy to be lived in good health, you better get on the ball now.

What Is A Portion Anyway?

 

It may seem like an obvious question, but according to the International Food Information Council (IFIC) only 45% of Americans were able to correctly define portion size. About a third of those surveyed confused portion size with serving size. This confusion serves only those selling you your food. So here is the difference. Portion Size is the amount of food you choose or are given to eat at one time. Serving Size is a standardized measure of food quantity established by the Food and Drug Administration for use on food nutrition labels.

While serving sizes have changed little over time, food portions in America's restaurants have increased by 100% to 200% over the last 20 years, a key factor that is contributing to a potentially devastating increase in obesity among children and adults. "Super-sized portions at restaurants have distorted what Americans consider a normal portion size, and that affects how much we eat at home as well," said Dr. Elizabeth G. Nabel, director of NIH's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Larger portions mean more calories, which can quickly add up to extra weight.

Food producers take advantage of something researchers call "unit bias" to encourage you to overconsume their product. When your brain sees a unit of food that could reasonably be consumed at one time, say a large plateful of food or a bag of chips, it assumed this is the right amount for a portion - regardless of how much food it may be. Combined with frequent exposure to too-large portion sizes in stores and restaurants, unit bias causes us to consume more food than we need, or even want.

For free guidance on portion sizes that are right for you, check out myplate.gov. Become aware of the serving sizes listed on all food products. Start there and adjust them to your needs. Instead of eating more than a serving, try combining foods: topping your ice cream with berries or nuts, say, or crumbling up some cookies on low fat yogurt. Remember, no one is looking out for your health but you.

Five Steps that Actually Do Boost Immunity

 

These days it can be hard to turn around without bumping into another food, supplement, elixir or magic pill that promises to boost, strengthen, support or supercharge your immune system. From late night TV commercials, to the internet, grocery store and print media amazing immunity solutions are everywhere. The real question is, do any of them work?

The reality is that there is no simple, one-size-fits-all solution to optimizing the performance of your immune system. Not everyone reacts to infections or other threats in exactly the same way. And what you often don't hear from companies selling amazing immunity boosters is that an overactive immune systems is just as bad as a weak one. Auto-immune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and allergies are just some of the gifts that a too-strong immune system might bestow.

Supporting the immune system then is definitely not a matter of finding the right pill or supplement. But that doesn't mean that there is nothing you can do to support a balanced, effective immune system. Here are five lifestyle factors that will help, and you don't need to buy anything special to incorporate them.

Get Enough Restful Sleep.  When you are asleep, your immune system is working hard. From reprogramming your T-cells to respond to new threats to producing proteins that they use to kill invaders, your immune system uses sleep to recharge itself. If you do not get adequate sleep, your immune system cannot work at full capacity.

Wrangle Your Stress. Stress grips everyone. It is just a part of life that is not going away. So you may as well learn to deal with it. Chronic stress, in particular, can increase your risk of many illnesses and compromise your immune system's ability to deal with them. Cortisol, glucagon and prolactin are hormones that your body produces in response to stress and persistently high levels can cause high blood pressure and chronic inflammation. Exercise is a great stress reducer, as are a meditation practice, breathing exercises and spending time doing things you find enjoyable. Drinking alcohol and scrolling social media are not.

Protect Your Microbiome. The intestinal microbiome is a signalling hub that integrates environmental inputs, such as diet, with genetic and immune signals to affect the your metabolism, immunity and response to infection. Aberrations in the communication between the innate immune system and the gut microbiota contribute to many complex diseases.The bacteria in your gut breaks down food to provide energy and repair and protect parts of the immune system. Adding fermented foods like sauerkraut, kefir or yogurt to your diet can help maintain the delicate balance in your gut. The evidence for pre or pro biotic supplements is sketchy at best, despite what the marketing department tells you.

Upgrade your nutrition. Adding more plants to your diet will feed your microbiome and benefit your health in many ways. Avoiding processed foods and, especially, sugar, will help reduce inflammation. Here is one place where a general, broad spectrum supplement may actually be helpful to close any gaps between what you eat and the nutrition your body needs to maintain and repair itself.

Detoxify Your Home. The immune system has to fight off more than just viruses and bacteria. When it encounters the harmful chemicals, pesticides or heavy metals that infect far too much of our food, water, cleaning and personal care products it responds to them as well. An environment heavy in these pollutants keeps your immune system working in overdrive. Choosing organic foods when you can helps reduce pesticide residue in your diet. Avoiding plastic packaging as much as you can, drinking filtered (not store-bought bottled) water and choosing less-toxic personal care and cleaning products lowers the toxin level and gives your immune system a rest. The Environmental Working Group (www.EWG.org) is a good source to find less toxic brands.

We would all love to find a cheap, simple, easy way to maintain a strong immune system. And many companies are happy to sell you one. Unfortunately few of them do any good. Save your money and upgrade your lifestyle instead.