5 Tips for Mental Fitness

May 18, 2011

The mind is a terrible thing to waste.  But it’s also a terrible thing to let get out of control.  We all have our challenges in life, but we can also look those challenges in the face, see them for what they are and do something about it.  Here are 5 tips for doing just that.

1.       Outrun Fear with Exercise

In neurological terms, fear is the memory of danger.  Simply by taking action and exercising you’re circumventing the mechanism for the fear memory. 

Here’s how exercise helps you outrun fear:

 - It provides distraction
 - It reduces muscle tension
 - It builds brain resources
 - It teaches a different outcome
 - It reroutes your circuits (use sympathetic nervous system to move instead of wait and worry)
 - It improves resilience (learn to control anxiety and not let it become a panic)
 - It sets you free (literally…if you’re locked down, you’ll feel more anxious)

2.       Become Your Own Mind-Control Freak

I know it sounds ridiculous, but it’s true.  Exercise is being used to treat depression – and often more effectively than commonly prescribed drugs.  Depression isn’t just all in your head.  It is a re-wiring of the physical and chemical structure of your brain.

About 17 million American adults experience depression at some point, to the tune of $26.1 billion in health care costs each year.  A 1999 Duke University showed that every 50 minutes of exercise conducted weekly is correlated to a 50% reduction in the odds of being depressed.

Humans are social animals, so if you’re depressed, it would be ideal to choose a form of exercise that encourages making connections and that can take place outside or in some environment that stimulates the senses.  This will stimulate your brain and make depression less likely.

3.       See What’s Really Going On

Ever notice how when something a little bad happens, we sometimes think it’s worse.  “Why is this happening to ME!?” We sometimes take negatives personally when they rarely are. 

You might hit a traffic jam when you’re already running late for an appointment.  Or perhaps the grocery store is out of the one ingredient you need to make that new recipe you want to try.  Any number of relatively minor frustrations can be made worse or better by your mindset.

At times like this, it’s important to stop and ask yourself “What is really going on and exactly how bad is this situation?”  Is it really the end of your child’s future hopes and dreams if they get a bad grade on a single test?  Or is it an opportunity to identify an area of study or organization that needs either a different approach or more focused effort?  It’s all in how you view it.  (For more info on “mindset,” see Mindset by Carol Dweck.)

4.       Are Your Challenges Making You Better or Just Challenged?

What frustrates you over and over?  And then ask yourself: “Am I learning anything from it?”  We get into patterns of doing things just because we’ve always done them.  If the frustrations make you search for solutions, get better at problem-solving, or cause you to think differently about similar situations moving forward, then there is value in those frustrations.

If all you’re getting is frustrated over and over without any growth or learning, then these are challenges best avoided.

For example, I’ve spoken for a fitness organization several times and have had to consistently fight just to be treated fairly.  Recently, it became apparent that they weren’t going to change the way they do things, so I’m not going to lend my talents and ideas to that organization.  I’m no longer expecting them to change, but instead I’m directing my energies where they will be fully appreciated. 

If you’re not learning or growing from a challenge and just repeating frustrations, then put your energies elsewhere.

5.       Get Away in Body or at Least in Mind

Remind yourself that the world is a very large and complex place.  Either get away from your surroundings by taking a short trip or get away in mind and spirit by connecting with a friend you haven’t spoken with in a while or diving into a cherished hobby or activity that you haven’t enjoyed in a while that will consume your mental energies in a positive enjoyable way to give you a mental holiday. 

For me, I get this either from playing sports that I love or in watching thought-provoking and/or highly entertaining movies where it is possible to lose oneself in the story.  Very soon, I’ll be resuming outdoor volleyball with some friends one night a week.  This is often a highlight of the week because for a couple of hours, my mind is focused only on the momentary needs of the next rally.  Nothing before or after that moment enters the mind.  And it just feels great afterward.

Keep your mind sharp by not using it so much!  It is humanly impossible to truly multi-task well (read the research if you don’t believe me) and our poor over-burdened brains are not meant to be constantly plugged-in and over stimulated by multiple streams of info.  Use these tips to keep your mind right, and you probably noticed while reading them that a lot can be done for the mind by getting the body moving.  If you’d like more details on how activity can benefit the mind, I’d encourage you to read Spark by John Ratey.

All kinds of fitness are mind-body fitness – so get moving for your brain, and enjoy the benefits to your body as a side effect!

Jonathan Ross 
Discovery Fit & Health Fitness Expert

Author, Abs Revealed
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Sweet Spot of Stress

April 13, 2011

April is Stress Awareness Month.  It’s a good thing too since I’m sure you had no idea that chronic stress can take a real toll on you…right? It’s a common misperception that we need to eliminate stress. The truth is that struggling in life isn’t an option, it’s a requirement.

The good stress – “eustress” – keeps you focused, on your game, and doing things that matter to you.  The bad stress – “distress” – is inevitable at some point for all of us. 

Ideally, we periodically get hit with some negative stress, we handle it, recover to normal, manageable levels of stress, and life hums along.  Increasingly, life is less than ideal.

Stress used to be in the form of immediate threats to our survival.  (“Is that saber-toothed tiger going to eat me?”)  But now, the stresses are vague, long-term, and can’t be handled by a physical response.  (“My retirement fund is doing terribly.”  “How will I pay for college for my kids?”)

But the brain and the body only know one response to stress – the “fight or flight” response you’re likely familiar with. 

Your body gets pumped for action, and your brain starts alerting the attention and memory centers of the brain to heighten awareness of the stress. 

Acute stress is something we deal with in a relatively short period of time – hours or days at the most.  Chronic stress is anything that creates a stress response in your body for an extended period of time – weeks or months. 

The problem is when stress becomes chronic. Scientists don’t know exactly when the transition occurs from stress that builds up to stress that tears down, but they sure do know the effects when they see them.

Stress hormones (adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol) really like your hippocampus – a part of your brain that, among other things, plays a big role in memory.  If stress hormones get high enough for long enough, they can take over your memories, encoding even non-stressful events as stressful.  (Think of the war veteran who hears a firecracker and experiences a stress response like he was still in combat.)

Even worse, in excess amounts, stress hormones, can kill off the proteins that are designed to protect your brain from damage.  And with no nerve endings in your brain, you can’t feel the damage like you feel a sprained ankle.

The “feeling” of stress you experience is essentially the emotional echo of the underlying stress on your brain cells.  With chronic stress, the brain gets locked into the same pattern – typically one marked by pessimism, fear, and retreat from life. 

Normal events start to be perceived as stressful.  And the overabundance of stress can start to block access to existing memories.  (Think of stories you’ve heard about someone who panics while driving and steps on the gas instead of the brake pedal.)

Effective stress management does not involve eliminating stress.  It involves two components:

1.        Reducing the stress to eustress levels and acute distress events (like your car breaking down.)

2.        Re-taking control of your body’s response to stress.

The second one is best done with, you guessed it, exercise.  It provides a distraction, reduces muscle tension, builds brain resources, teaches you a different outcome to a stressor, reroutes your brain circuits to take action when stressed instead of “wait and worry,” and it sets you free (if you’re locked into a chronic stress pattern you feel anxious and restricted.)

One caveat though:  If you’re dealing with an excessive chronic stress load, your exercise efforts should not be at high intensity as very challenging workouts are another form of stress on the body so you don’t want to have workouts that “tear you down.”

Hitting the “sweet spot of stress” involves allowing enough stress into your life to give you purpose, meaning, and direction for your energies and efforts while avoiding getting locked into a chronic pattern of chronic stress that will tear down both your brain and your body.

My Teen’s a Nightmare – or Maybe Just Not Myelinated Yet

March 26, 2011

Ah, teenagers. Been there, done that. Do you remember being a teenager? Do you now have one of your own? Everyone falls into at least one of those two categories.It’s a universal truth that most teens are bad at decision-making. And anyone who has witnessed the “so-bad-it’s-hilarious” song and video “Friday” by Rebecca Black (getting over 55 million hits on You Tube at this writing) knows that teenage bad decisions keep coming.

On 3/28 at 10pm ET, Discovery Fit & Health will premiere My Teen's a Nightmare

Loud music, shouting, swearing, smoking and drinking -- these are just some teenage behaviors that are every parent's nightmare. But suppose you could just pack your bags and let someone else pick up the pieces? My Teen's a Nightmare gives overwrought parents the chance to do just that. Terrible teenagers are in for the shock of their lives -- their parents have left home and they're about to meet their match, teen expert Sarah Newton. Newton's moving in for four days to sort them out once and for all.

Ms. Newton has her hands full. But why?

The Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) – home of our “executive decisions” like impulse control – doesn’t fully develop until we are well into our 20’s. So teenagers are governed more by the urges and impulses of a primitive “me first” reward system that isn’t yet kept in check by the PFC.

It’s not so much that teens make bad choices as they fail to inhibit behavior that has become reflexive. They have nearly adult bodies, but not adult brains. And their brains are close enough to being developed that it can get them into a whole lot of trouble.

Why do young people make bad decisions? All the circuits are there in their brains, but they have little myelin. Think of it like this…their brains are just about ready to go, a lot of the circuitry is connected, but their brains don’t yet know which circuits to treat as more important than the others.

When we repeat something often and learn it, those circuits in the brain get covered with more and more myelin. In essence, myelin is like insulation that wraps the circuit to protect it, keep it strong, and help it fire more readily. In terms of our discussion about teenagers, myelin = wisdom.

(For more details on the brain differences between teenagers and adults, see this excellent article from "How Stuff Works." )

But there is hope. In the book The Talent Code there is a reference to research from Marvin Eisenstadt who looked into the background of great historical or famous figures. There is a long and distinguished list of high achievers in history that lost a parent when they were young.

It sends a primal cue that "you are not safe."

This heightens the focus in a teenage brain at a time when the brain is most receptive to learning and mastering new skills. It provides a focus and direction for all the (commonly misspent) energy of youth.

When the proper motivation is there to focus the energy, teens can learn the skills and coping mechanisms necessary to achieve greatness later on in life.

Diabetes Disaster

March 24, 2011

Childhood obesity seems to be, quite literally, surrounding us these days. On Friday, March 25 @ 8 PM, Discovery Fit & Health will premiere "Big Babies."

The global epidemic of obesity is spawning a nursery-load of super-sized newborns, stressing parents, straining hospitals, and endangering the lives of moms and babies alike. In this sensitive and personal look at a serious and worsening problem, Big Babies follows three overweight women on their anxious journeys through pregnancy, into the delivery room and home again with newborns who weigh-in at thirteen pounds and more: twice the weight of an average infant.

A few days ago, a local major newspaper published an article on type-2 diabetes (the disease formerly known as "adult-onset" diabetes.) Unfortunately, it contained a lot of misinformation, some of it coming in the form of quotes from people in executive positions of children’s obesity programs who should know better.

One example is the director of the Child/Adolescent Diabetes Program at Children’s National Medical Center who promotes the idea that...."no one caused their diabetes."

(Translation: You didn't do anything to cause diabetes; it is just something that happened to you.)

Later on in the same article we are (thankfully) hit with some facts..."adults with pre-diabetes who lost 7% of body weight reduced risk of diabetes by 58%" and "It's crucial to find these children before their condition progresses to diabetes so that it can be reversed by lifestyle changes."

(Translation: by taking action, you can prevent diabetes.)

Are we to believe that our actions have an effect on diabetes, but that our inactions don't?

Type-2 diabetes is either affected by lifestyle choices or it isn’t. It can’t be only affected by positive choices.

As long as leaders in diabetes research conceal the truth that the majority (not all) of type-2 diabetes cases are lifestyle related, we will continue to struggle with this problem. This in no way means that anyone should feel guilty about it, but the truth is that the majority (again, not all, just to be clear) of type-2 cases are mostly self-inflicted through "inactions." And that is the real shame because it means most cases are avoidable.

With newborns essentially being born obese, we need to deal with the truths of diabetes and obesity rather than worry about making people feel bad.

Are You an Animal or a Vegetable?

March 07, 2011

Humans are mammals, that’s for sure. But what happens if we stop moving?

Labor-saving, energy-saving, attention-grabbing technology has transformed the way we spend our daily lives in the last century.

But we are born to move. Without a "need" for activity that is directly related to survival on a day-to-day basis, it’s awfully easy to have "busy" day that doesn’t include much movement. As a result, we stick "exercise" back into our daily routines. And if we don’t, the results become apparent pretty quickly.

But this isn’t about that. This is about a philosophical perspective on fitness and movement.

While reading "Spark: The Revoltionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain," I came across an interesting passage.

In the Chinese language, a subject is an animal, and an object is a vegetable. As well know, "subjects" are acted on by verbs in language. And verbs mean action. Subjects use verbs to act on objects.

In Chinese language, you can’t ask a vegetable to move since it is an object (and since it can’t understand language or even hear, but you get the idea.) So if you don’t move, you are not an animal anymore – you are vegetable!

Don’t be a vegetable...buy them, cook them, eat them, enjoy them.

And get moving, you animal!

To HRT or Not HRT? That really is THE question.

October 22, 2010

Once again, the front page of every newspaper was splashed with a story about how women using hormone replacement therapy (HRT) are at increased risk for breast cancer.  This week, the news got more grim as it became apparent that the breast cancer that occurs with concurrent HRT is typically more deadly.

After a brief review of what got us here, I'll be sharing some info you don't often hear about from the popular media, medical community, pharmaceutical companies, or the government.  I'll just try to bring a little more clarity to a confusing and contentious issue in the hopes that it helps you understand just what's going on, and perhaps more importantly, help make a more informed decision about HRT.

Here's where we are now: 

(1) The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study was halted in 2002 after data suggested that HRT (consisting of estrogen and progestin - this is important, as you'll soon see) increased breast cancer risk.

(2) A while later, further analysis of the data and examination of the study participants (who were continually monitored after cessation of the study) showed that they were at higher risk for lung cancer as well.

(3) This week, the news broke that of the study participants getting breast cancer, they got a more deadly, virulent form of it.  Essentially the message is this: if you get breast cancer as a result of HRT, your survival chances are lower.

Not a good decade for HRT

There are two main topics I want to share with you on this:

(1) Should we even want to use HRT?

(2) What real HRT is and the problems with the common form of HRT.

First, with the problems surrounding HRT, it makes sense to ask: Do women need HRT or should we just let nature "run its course?"  Isn't HRT unnatural and shouldn't we just age naturally and leave the body alone?  

We humans have decided that we want to live as long as possible while looking and feeling as young and as healthy as possible.  So if we object to HRT as "unnatural" then we'd have to object to artificial joints, contact lenses, and any other medical procedure that extends health and/or life.

 Onto the next question:  What is real HRT?    

True Hormone Replacement Therapy involves SIX hormones:  melatonin, estradiol, estriol, estrone, progesterone, and testosterone.  

The usual HRT involves ONLY estrogen and progestin (sold as Prempro by Pfizer), which is derived from equine (horse) estrogen and synthetic progestin.  These don't match human hormones so we can't control what they do once they go into the body.  

The research in the 1970's on these hormones showed their potential danger and harm if used widely, but the commercial and political interests overpowered the data (sounds just like what happened with hydrogenated oils...data as early as 1977 makes it clear that they should never have been allowed in our food supply.)

Hormones are extremely powerful in that they control and direct all that goes on in our bodies. Manipulating hormone levels is a serious undertaking.

The only way to sensibly use hormone replacement therapy is to use True HRT and in the lowest doses necessary.  

ANY use of hormones would warrant consultation with your medical professional.  The below information is simply provided to illustrate the incomplete/ineffective nature of the HRT you read about in the paper and not a recommended course of action.

Melatonin: If you replace any hormone, this is the first one to go with because without it, all other hormones lose their natural synchronicity.  It is the first hormone to decline in perimenopause.  Best bet is to use extended slow release forms.

Estrogens: Use bioidentical estrogen (i.e., identical to human estrogen, not horses) such as TriEst and Esnari.  Esnari exactly duplicates the three estrogens in the healthy human female: it is 90% estriol, 7% estradiol, and 3% estrone.  

Progesterone: This hormone controls estrogen, so it should always be used with estrogen, and of course, in bioidentical forms, not synthetic.  It's use should be timed to a woman's cycle.  Progesterone is typically low until ovulation, then rises to a peak around days 22-24.

Testosterone:  The body will make enough testosterone provided it has adequate DHEA and levels of this can decline slightly with age.

For more details on True HRT, I will point you to your doctor...absolutely essential.  I'm no medical professional, just sharing what I've learned from other medical professionals.

And for your own research, I'd point you to the fantastic book, "The Perimenopause Solution," by Dr. Michael Colgan.  This book should be in Oprah's book club instead of much of the lighter fare usually featured.  You can get this book from the Colgan Institute, and it's currently on sale for 29% off.

Jonathan Ross 
Discovery Health Fitness Expert
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Barefoot Running...Flying Blind?

August 22, 2010

Seen anyone running barefoot recently?  For their sake, I hope you haven't.

Since the release of the book Born to Run featuring the Tarahumara indians of Mexico who run for miles with only a simple covering for the bottom of their feet, we've seen a familiar reaction whenever some obscure culture from a hidden corner of the globe has a spotlight on it:

Namely, we collectively "ooh" and "aah" at their simple wisdom and adopt a single, simple feature of their behavior while ignoring other aspects that might be just as important.

First, let me be clear.  I agree in principle and 100% that the modern running shoe is pretty much a disaster for the human body.  In 30 years, the incidence of running injuries per mile run has not declined at all.  The wider, thicker, and more cushioned heels alters our stride when running in unfavorable ways.  But this isn't about that.  This topic has been covered extensively already. 

I'm writing about what the barefoot running fanatics miss.

The cult-like following of the barefoot running movement suffers the same blind spots that always surface when cultish, trendy thinking dominates.

Once again, the basic premise is sound:

From the physiology and biomechanics of its evolutionary design, the human foot is designed to run perfectly on uneven surfaces, naked, without any other support.  

What's the problem then?  It's the part about UNEVEN GROUND.

I saw an episode of HBO's Real Sports where the author of Born to Run was shown running down an asphalt highway while barefoot!  This was followed by another clip of him in a concrete plaza teaching a group of people how to start running barefoot.  I was cringing watching this.

Anyone beginning a career as a podiatrist is going to do very well in the coming years.

I own a pair of the Vibram Five-Fingers shoes (shown at right.)  I love them.  But you will not find me running in them for more than 5-10 minutes.  I'll walk around in them all day.  I'll perform weight training in them.  But not running.

It's unnatural to run in overly cushioned modern running shoes.  But taking away the running shoes doesn't automatically make running in the modern world "natural."

Houses, streets, sidewalks, office building, malls, parking lots...pretty much everywhere you go in the modern world is hard, flat, perfectly graded terrain.  

Running barefoot on this type of surface is just as unnatural as (and probably more harmful than) running in traditional running shoes. 

Take another look at the photo above of the Tarahumara Indian running.  Nothing in that image looks like our modern world - so why do we focus solely on the difference in footwear!?

So ditch the running shoes...and instead go for two other types of shoes:

1. Minimalist shoes like the Vibram Five-Fingers, Nike Free, or the upcoming Reebok Flex that give the foot less artificial support.
2. "Maximalist" (my term) shoes like the Reebok Easy-Tone (for walking) or Run-Tone  (for running) that introduce more instability (without extra cushioning) to the running experience.

The first type of shoe gives you the "naked foot" experience and the second shoe gives you the "uneven ground" experience.  The best of both worlds.

Barefoot running is fine on grass or other uneven surfaces...or if you're a Tarahumara Indian. Barefoot running on any surface in the modern world is a virtual guarantee of injury.

Jonathan Ross 
Discovery Health Fitness Expert
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Bone-Building Drugs Aren't

May 11, 2010

Recently the potential risks of using the class of drugs called bisphosphonates have begun surfacing.  But every media report about them fails to mention exactly why they cause problems.

You shouldn't have to work so hard to get straight answers so I'll tell you why.  First, note that I'm neither pro nor con when it comes to the drugs.  I'm for truth and keeping people informed enough to make decisions with all the cards laid out on the table.

This class of drugs are often referred to as "bone-building" drugs - and that's part of the problem. They don't build one bit of bone.  

Osteoclasts are the cells that work to break down bone tissue while osteoblasts are the cells that make new bone tissue.  

When bone cells wear out, the osteoclasts get rid of the old, weak bone then the osteoblasts come along and lay down new, strong bone.  This process continues throughout your life.  

Bisphosphonates don't promote the work of osteoblasts...they typically inhibit the work of osteoclasts. 

By inhibiting bone breakdown, bone density scores go up.  So why are many people still at risk for fractures?

Because without the osteoclasts removing as much worn out bone, the increased bone density is weaker, worn out, less resilient bone.  You're not getting stronger bones, you're simply keeping more weaker bone. 

Like many things in life quality and quantity matter.

So what stimulates the osteoblasts and growth of new, healthy, strong bones?  You probably guessed it: weight-bearing/impact exercise and proper nutrition. 

This is the same "treatment" that works for many other of our ailments!

The decision to use bisphosphonates is a personal one and one that should be made with an understanding of why the drugs sometimes create one problem while "solving" another.

Jonathan Ross 
Discovery Health Fitness Expert
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Exercise - Learning to Hate It; Learning to Love It

April 30, 2010

Next week, Discovery Health kicks off "Psych Week" - a week of programming centered on and devoted to mental health. Details: http://health.discovery.com/videos/psych-week-2010/

In light of this, I'll be highlighting the 4 critical domains that improve brain health: physical activity, mental activity, healthy food, and stress management.  Yes, I'm bloggin' 'bout the brain!

Fun Brain Fact:  The capacity for all emotions - joy, happiness, fear, etc. are already developed at birth. The specific type of nurturing a child receives shapes how these emotions are developed.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Two friends are on a hike together.  While walking down the trail chatting, one of them steps on the end of a stick causing the other end to flip rapidly up in the air toward the pair of hikers. One person reacts normally while the other screams in terror and runs away. Why?

It turns out that, as a child, one of the hikers was in the woods on a trail and was almost bitten by a snake.  This experience was locked into memory with deep roots from the strong physical, stress response.  Thus, for this hiker, when the stick rapidly flipped into their path, they reacted as if it was a snake lunging to bite them in the leg while the other hiker reacted as if a stick was harmlessly flipping onto the trail.

Anybody hate exercise?  Better question:  Anybody have some negative experiences with exercise as a child or teenager?  

Maybe you were always picked last for the backyard football games.  

Maybe a parent told you constantly that you need to lose weight or the boys won't like you. 

Maybe you were teased for being overweight, or for being bad at sports in gym class.  

These powerful negative experiences and emotions get attached to the notion of exercise and physical activity.  Is it any surprise then that, as adults, many people avoid it?

I meet a lot of people who say, "I want to get in shape," but whose day-to-day actions don't support that goal.  

The emotional person they are is different from the physical person they are.  Hurt feelings stimulate the same parts of the brain that physical pain does.  

The amygdala is the "fear center" of the brain and it is a fast-responder.  The higher, "executive functions" of the prefrontal cortex are slower.  So when a stick pops up in the air with a memory of a near snake-bite, the quick response wins.  The amygdala creates an "unthinking" response. 

How do we turn this around with exercise?

It's not being told what to do.  You can't be shamed into exercising.  First, you have to get the higher, executive functions of the brain back in charge of the thoughts about exercise.  Get past your emotions around exercise.  Then, you can take action at your own pace.  Small steps work best at first to create competence and success.  This allows the reward system in your brain to slowly change. As habits change and improve, this picks up speed.  Change will be possible when the advantages of changing and the disadvantages of not changing are greater than those of not changing.  

I like to use a "decisional balance sheet" to help figure the specifics out. Here's an example:

Get Fit or Not?	Disadvantages	Advantages
No Change	Gain body fat, health worsens Increased medical expenses Can’t do what I enjoy, play w/kids, etc. Burden on my family Low confidence/self-esteem	Have more free time Save money on gym/fitness equipment/trainer Easier
Change	Takes big effort Might have to buy new clothes Time	Better confidence/self-esteem Feel more capable Have more energy Improved Mood Look better

This helps you take more control over your actions instead of letting the emotions and the fear center of your brain control you.  It lays it all out clearly so you can decide what matters more to you - changing or not changing.

You can use this with any big decision where the emotions dominate and it's hard to get started - so it works wonders with exercise!

Jonathan Ross 
Discovery Health Fitness Expert
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Belly Fat Bad; Thigh Fat Good?

September 28, 2009

Everybody has probably heard that a lot of belly fat is bad, but do you know why? 

The fat stored in the abdomen and wrapped around organs ("visceral" fat) is bad fat because the blood that flows from belly fat goes directly to your liver, whereas the blood that flows from other areas of the body just beneath the surface of the skin ("subcutaneous" fat) goes into your general circulation.

The livers of those who store fat in their bellies are blocked from removing insulin by the extra fat and therefore do not remove insulin from the bloodstream as effectively as the livers of people who have predominantly subcutaneous fat.

People who store fat primarily in their bellies have higher blood insulin and sugar levels, which raise levels of the bad LDL cholesterol that causes heart attacks, and lower levels of the good HDL cholesterol that prevents heart attacks.

Now, a recent study shows that thigh fat correlates with health.  Dr. Anne B. Newman of the University of Pittsburgh found that thigh fat may be good fat (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, August 12, 2005).

The findings showed that older women with lots of fat in their thighs are at much lower risk for "metabolic syndrome," a condition associated with high blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure that increases risk for diabetes and heart disease.

Scientists haven't yet figured out the "why" behind these results.  But, for those of you in the real world, it's pretty easy to sort out since you don't really need the "why" to make lifestyle choices.  Fat around your organs is making your insides like salami - an unhealthy meat no matter how slice it.  Fat underneath your skin is like a sirloin steak or chicken breast where the meat and fat are in separate layers and can be relatively easily separated. 

Jonathan Ross
National Body Challenge Fitness Expert
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