Get moving & live longer
Did you know that physical activity can extend your life expectancy? A recent study has found that people who engaged in moderate physical activity gained 2.3 years of life, and those who engaged in high levels of physical activity added more than 4 years to their life.

Research reports show that strength training produces many health benefits, especially for older adults. Adults who don’t strength train lose between 5 and 7 lbs of muscle mass every decade. Although endurance exercise improves cardiovascular fitness, it does not prevent the loss of muscle tissue. Only strength exercise maintains muscle mass and strength through out midlife and senior years.

Remember to check with your doctor or health care provider before starting an exercise program.

References
1. Jonker JT, De Laet C. Franco OH, et al.: Physical activity and life expectancy with and without diabetes: Life table analysis of the Framingham Heart Study. Diabetes Care 29:38-43, 2006.
2. Evans WJ, Rosenberg IH, Thompson JA. Biomarkers: The 10 Keys to Prolonging Vitality. New York: Simon and Schuster; 1992.

Heart smart nutrition
To reduce your risk of heart disease, combining a number of foods and food components such as viscous fiber, soy protein, nuts and omega-3 fatty acids in a single diet may lower LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol. A nutritionist can help you and you can also talk with your family doctor at Access Medical Centers to learn more.

Keep these nutrition tips in mind:

1. Consumption of 25-50 grams per day of soy protein is recommended in order to derive a health benefit. This amount may be obtained from two to four servings of soy products daily such as tofu, tempeh, soy milk, soy flour, soy cheese, or soy-containing dairy products.

2. The Food and Drug Administration has approved a health claim that foods low in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol containing 0.75g of beta-glucan or 1.7g of viscous psyllium fiber per serving can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.
• To reduce cholesterol, an intake of 3 grams of beta-glucan, equivalent to 1 1/2 cups of cooked oatmeal or 1 cup of cooked oat bran, is recommended.
• Psyllium-enriched foods such as ready-to-eat cereals lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol as effectively as psyllium fiber supplements. A total of 7 grams per day of psyllium is recommended to achieve a significant reduction in total cholesterol.

3. Consumption of 73 grams of nuts per day has been found to reduce LDL cholesterol.
• A daily serving of 4 grams of walnuts, 11 grams of pecans, 4 grams of peanuts, 10 grams of macadamias, or 4 grams of pistachios also reduce LDL cholesterol.

4. The American and Heart Association acknowledges that the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA are essential for heart health. It recommends that people without heart disease eat oily fish 2-3 times per week and consume a diet rich in alpha linolenic acid.
• Flaxseed is a rich source of alpha-linolenic acid, which is converted in the body to EPA and DHA.
• One fish meal daily may provide about 0.25 grams per day of EPA AND 0.55 grams per day of DHA.
• In some cases, omega-3 fatty acid supplements may be appropriate to achieve a healthy intake of 1.5 grams of omega-3 fatty acids per day.

References
1. Anderson JW, Johnston BM, Cook-N-Newell ME. Meta-analysis of the effects of soy protein intake on serum lipids. N Englund J. Med. 1995;333:276-282.
2. Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of high Blood Cholesterol in adults. Executive summary of the third report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel n Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III). JAMA. 2001;285:2486-2497.
3.Olson BH, Anderson SM, Becker MP, et al. Psyllium-enriched cereals lower blood total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, but not HDL cholesterol, in hypercholesterolemic adults: results of a meta-analysis, J. Nutr. 1997;127:1972-1980.
4. Jenkins DJ, Kendall CW, Marchie A, et al. Dose response of almonds on coronary heart disease risk factors: blood lipids, oxidized low-density lipoproteins, lipoprotein(a), homocysteine, and pulmonary nitric oxide: a randomized, controlled, crossover trial. Circulation. 2002; 106:1327-1332.
5. Laidlaw M, Holub BJ. Effects of supplementation with fish oil-derived n-3 fatty acids and gamma-linolenic acid on circulating plasma lipids and fatty acid profiles in women. Am J Clini Nutr. 2003;77:37-42.
6. Jenkins DJ, Kendall CW, Marchie, et al. The effect of combining plant sterols, soy protein, viscous fibers, and almonds in treating hypercholesterolemia. Metabolism. 2003;52:1478-1483.