Stacy Moon teaches Yogarobics to seniors.

Our resident acupuncturist also teaches yoga.

 

Here is a video of her teaching a class of seniors.

 

If your interested in acupuncture or would like to learn more about yogarobics classes, please feel free to call Stacy at : 347-337-9676

She will also be teaching a class on January 11, 2015 at St. Bernards gymnasium during the "Zumba for life" fundraise. Event starts at 1pm and will run till 5 pm. Hope to see you there.

Running performance is impaired by mental fatigue

Posted on December 11, 2014 by Stone Hearth News

Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2014 Dec 9. [Epub ahead of print]

Mental Fatigue Impairs Intermittent Running Performance.

Smith MR1, Marcora SM, Coutts AJ. Author information 11Sport and Exercise Discipline Group, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Australia.

2Endurance Research Group, School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Kent at Medway, United Kingdom.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

To investigate the effects of mental fatigue on intermittent running performance.

METHODS:

Ten male intermittent team sports players performed two identical self-paced intermittent running protocols. The two trials were separated by seven days and preceded, in a randomised-counterbalanced order, by 90 min of either emotionally-neutral documentaries (control) or the AX-continuous performance test (AX-CPT; mental fatigue). Subjective ratings of fatigue and vigor were measured before and after these treatments, and motivation was recorded prior to the intermittent running protocol. Velocity, heart rate, oxygen consumption, blood glucose and lactate concentrations, and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured throughout the 45-min intermittent running protocol. Session-RPE was recorded 30 min after the intermittent running protocol.

RESULTS:

Subjective ratings of fatigue were higher following the AX-CPT (P = 0.005). This mental fatigue significantly reduced velocity at low intensities (1.28 ± 0.18 m⋅s vs. 1.31 ± 0.17 m⋅s; P = 0.037), while high-intensity running and peak velocities were not significantly affected. Running velocity at all intensities significantly declined over time in both conditions (P < 0.001). Oxygen consumption was significantly lower in the mental fatigue condition (P = 0.007). Other physiological variables, vigor and motivation were not significantly affected. RPE during the intermittent running protocol was not significantly different between conditions despite lower overall velocity in the mental fatigue condition. Session-RPE was significantly higher in the mental fatigue condition

CONCLUSION:

Mental fatigue impairs intermittent running performance. This negative effect of mental fatigue appears to be mediated by higher perception of effort.

Source - See more at: http://www.stonehearthnewsletters.com/running-performance-is-impaired-by-mental-fatigue/fatigue/#sthash.JkmSYw2p.dpuf

Vitamin C may help people who suffer from respiratory symptoms after exercise

Posted on December 8, 2014 by Stone Hearth News

Physical activity increases oxidative stress, and therefore, as an antioxidant vitamin C might have particularly evident effects on people who are participating in vigorous exercise. In several studies, vitamin C administration attenuated the increases in oxidative stress markers caused by exercise. Furthermore, vitamin C is involved in the metabolism of histamine, prostaglandins, and cysteinyl leukotrienes, all of which appear to be mediators in the pathogenesis of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction.

A meta-analysis of three studies found that vitamin C halved post-exercise FEV1 decline in participants who suffered from exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. Five other studies examined subjects who were under short-term, heavy physical stress and a meta-analysis revealed that vitamin C halved the incidence of respiratory symptoms. Another trial reported that vitamin C halved the duration of the respiratory symptoms in male adolescent competitive swimmers.

FEV1 is the standard pulmonary function outcome for assessing whether a person suffers from exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. However, exercise-induced decline in FEF25-75 is twice as great as the decline in FEV1. FEV1 measures the large-airway obstruction, whereas FEF25-75 measures small-airway obstruction. Therefore, FEF25-75 or the closely related FEF50 might provide relevant additional information about the possible effects of vitamin C.

Harri Hemila, MD, PhD, of the University of Helsinki, Finland, carried out a secondary analysis of a study which had 12 participants. The participants had asthma, were on average 26 years, and suffered from exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. The FEV1 and FEF60 levels before and after exercise were reported on vitamin C and placebo days, but the data was not thoroughly analyzed originally.

In five out of the 12 participants, exercise caused a decline greater than 60% in FEF60. Such a dramatic FEF60 decline indicates that the absolute post-exercise level of FEF60 becomes an important outcome in its own right, in addition to its change from the pre-exercise level. Vitamin C administration increased the post-exercise FEF60 level in these 5 participants by between 50% and 150%. In contrast, no mean difference between the vitamin C and placebo days was detected in the other 7 participants.

– The increase in post-exercise FEF60 level by vitamin C is a novel finding, which indicates that vitamin C may have substantial effects on the small airways, Dr. Hemilä states.

Dr. Hemila concludes that “given the safety and low cost of vitamin C, and the consistency of positive findings in the nine randomized trials on vitamin C against exercise-induced bronchoconstriction and respiratory symptoms, it seems reasonable for physically active people to test whether vitamin C is beneficial on an individual basis, if they have documented exercise-induced bronchoconstriction or suffer from respiratory symptoms such as cough or sore throat after taking vigorous exercise.” Source Real Cause, Real Cure: The 9 root causes of the most common health problems and how to solve them

Follow these topics: Exercise: Benefits, Nutrition: Vitamin C, Respiratory - See more at: http://www.stonehearthnewsletters.com/vitamin-c-may-help-people-who-suffer-from-respiratory-symptoms-after-exercise/benefits-exercise/#sthash.7BJwn3hJ.dpuf

The effect of abdominal strength or endurance exercises on abdominal peak torque and endurance field tests of healthy participants: A randomized controlled trial

Posted on December 8, 2014 by Stone Hearth News

Phys Ther Sport. 2014 Sep 9. pii: S1466-853X(14)00073-X. doi: 10.1016/j.ptsp.2014.08.009. [Epub ahead of print]

The effect of abdominal strength or endurance exercises on abdominal peak torque and endurance field tests of healthy participants: A randomized controlled trial.

Learman K1, Pintar J2, Ellis A3. Author information 1Department of Physical Therapy, Youngstown State University, One University Plaza, Youngstown, OH 44555, USA.

Electronic address: klearman@ysu.edu. 2Department of Human Performance and Exercise Science, Youngstown State University, One University Plaza, Youngstown, OH 44555, USA. 3Department of Physical Therapy, Youngstown State University, One University Plaza, Youngstown, OH 44555, USA.

 Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To compare the effects of muscular endurance and resisted strengthening protocols on abdominal strength and endurance in a sample of young subjects.

DESIGN:

Randomized Clinical Trial. SETTING: University fitness laboratory.

PARTICIPANTS:

79 healthy subjects, (45 males and 34 females) aged 23.5 ± 5.8 years.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:

Measurements were taken at baseline and 12 weeks. Abdominal strength and endurance were evaluated using an isokinetic dynamometer (IKD) and four floor tests including the timed front plank (FP), angle sit (AS), sit-up (SU), and handheld dynamometer (HD).

RESULTS:

Multivariate analysis revealed no between group differences for the outcomes or group × time interaction (P = 0.52 and P = 0.31 respectively). The univariate within group analysis was significant for SU P = .001, HD rectus P = .007, HD oblique P = .005, and for the IKD peak eccentric torque P = .025.

A 12-week intervention program addressing endurance or strength did not produce between-group differences over a control group of routine activity maintenance.

Source #1 Strength Training Abdominal Belt: BEST Core Strength Workout for Core Training & Core Fitness Follow these topics: Fitness: Endurance Training

The effects of horse riding simulation exercise on muscle activation and limits of stability in the elderly

Posted on December 6, 2014 by Stone Hearth News

Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2014 Nov 7. pii: S0167-4943(14)00197-6. doi: 10.1016/j.archger.2014.10.018. [Epub ahead of print]

The effects of horse riding simulation exercise on muscle activation and limits of stability in the elderly.

Kim SG1, Lee JH2.

Author information 1Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science College, Daegu University, 15,

Jilyang, Gyeongsan-si, Gyeongbuk 712-714, Republic of Korea(1).

2Department of Physical Therapy, Kyungdong University, 5, Doriwon-gil, Sokcho,Gangwon-do 217-711, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: ljhcivapt@naver.com.

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effect of horse riding simulation (HRS) on balance and trunk muscle activation as well as to provide evidence of the therapeutic benefits of the exercise. Thirty elderly subjects were recruited from a medical care hospital and randomly divided into an experimental and a control group. The experimental group performed the HRS exercise for 20min, 5 times a week, for 8 weeks, and conventional therapy was also provided as usual. The muscle activation and limits of stability (LOS) were measured. The LOS significantly increased in the HRS group (p<0.05) but not in the control group (p>0.05). The activation of all muscles significantly increased in the HRS group. However, in the control group, the muscle activations of the lateral low-back (external oblique and quadratus lumborum) and gluteus medius (GM) significantly decreased, and there was no significant difference in other muscles. After the intervention, the LOS and all muscle activations significantly increased in the HRS group compared with the control group. The results suggest that the HRS exercise is effective for reducing the overall risk of falling in the elderly. Thus, it is believed that horse riding exercise would help to increase dynamic stability and to prevent elderly people from falling.

Source

Why does physical activity during childhood matter?

Posted on December 7, 2014 by Stone Hearth News

Over the past thirty years, physical activity among children has declined markedly. The public health implications of this decline include a growing prevalence of obesity and chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. A new issue of Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development expands the focus to ask whether physical activity is also related to children’s brain and cognitive development and achievement in school.

Scholarly articles published by over 20 researchers in Monographs, titled “The Relation of Childhood Physical Activity to Brain Health, Cognition and Scholastic Achievement” indicate that while physical activity in schools has diminished in part because of a growing emphasis on student performance and academic testing, decreased physical activity is actually related to decreased academic performance. Approximately 55.5 million children are enrolled in pre-kindergarten – 12th grade in the United States in a given academic year. According to research presented in Monographs, while there is variation across states and schools, overall, opportunities to engage in physical activity have diminished. Current U.S. Department of Health and Human Services guidelines call for children to have a minimum of 60 minutes of intermittent physical activity per day. However, in 2012, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 30 percent of children attended a school in which they were offered physical education daily.

 The majority of students do not engage in any form of planned physical activity during the school week. Yet physically active children tend to outperform their inactive peers in the classroom and on tests of achievement. The research presented in the monograph helps to make clear why. When compared to their less fit peers, those who engage in more physical activity have larger brain volumes in the basal ganglia and hippocampus, areas associated with cognitive control and memory. Cognitive control refers to the control of thought, action, behavior, and decision-making.

Physically active children also have increased concentration and enhanced attention spans when compared to their less active peers. The authors find that fitness is related to the ability to inhibit attention to competing stimuli during a task, an ability that can help children stay focused and persevere to complete an assignment.

The findings on attention encompass children with special needs as well as typically developing children. The authors also report on physical activity as a non-pharmaceutical intervention for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and children with autism spectrum disorders, with positive results. According to Dr. Charles Hillman, professor of kinesiology and community health at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and lead author on this issue of Monographs, “these results point to the important potential of approaches focusing on physical activity for strengthening children’s brain health and educational attainment.

It is important for state governments and school administrators to consider this evidence and promote physical activity in the school setting, which is where children spend much of their time.” Hillman also notes that the findings in the monograph come not only from studies looking at variation in physical activity and fitness level as they occur spontaneously among children, but also from studies in which children are randomly assigned to physical activity interventions or to continue their ongoing activity levels. This helps to assure that the links between physical activity, brain development and achievement are actually caused by the differences in activity rather than reflecting the characteristics of the children who choose to be more or less physically active.

Source - See more at: http://www.stonehearthnewsletters.com/why-does-physical-activity-during-childhood-matter/benefits-exercise/#sthash.0RRKvaQ8.dpuf

The mind-body connection: Clear new evidence

Posted on November 3, 2014 by Stone Hearth News

For the first time, researchers have shown that practising mindfulness meditation or being involved in a support group has a positive physical impact at the cellular level in breast cancer survivors.

A group working out of Alberta Health Services’ Tom Baker Cancer Centre and the University of Calgary Department of Oncology has demonstrated that telomeres – protein complexes at the end of chromosomes – maintain their length in breast cancer survivors who practise meditation or are involved in support groups, while they shorten in a comparison group without any intervention.

Although the disease-regulating properties of telomeres aren’t fully understood, shortened telomeres are associated with several disease states, as well as cell aging, while longer telomeres are thought to be protective against disease.

“We already know that psychosocial interventions like mindfulness meditation will help you feel better mentally, but now for the first time we have evidence that they can also influence key aspects of your biology,” says Dr. Linda E. Carlson, PhD, principal investigator and director of research in the Psychosocial Resources Department at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre.

“It was surprising that we could see any difference in telomere length at all over the three-month period studied,” says Dr. Carlson, who is also a U of C professor in the Faculty of Arts and the Cumming School of Medicine, and a member of the Southern Alberta Cancer Institute. “Further research is needed to better quantify these potential health benefits, but this is an exciting discovery that provides encouraging news.”

 The study was published online today in the journal Cancer. It can be found at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cncr.29063/full

A total of 88 breast cancer survivors who had completed their treatments for at least three months were involved for the duration of the study. The average age was 55 and most participants had ended treatment two years prior. To be eligible, they also had to be experiencing significant levels of emotional distress.

In the Mindfulness-Based Cancer Recovery group, participants attended eight weekly, 90-minute group sessions that provided instruction on mindfulness meditation and gentle Hatha yoga, with the goal of cultivating non-judgmental awareness of the present moment. Participants were also asked to practise meditation and yoga at home for 45 minutes daily.

In the Supportive Expressive Therapy group, participants met for 90 minutes weekly for 12 weeks and were encouraged to talk openly about their concerns and their feelings. The objectives were to build mutual support and to guide women in expressing a wide range of both difficult and positive emotions, rather than suppressing or repressing them.

The participants randomly placed in the control group attended one, six-hour stress management seminar.

All study participants had their blood analysed and telomere length measured before and after the interventions.

Scientists have shown a short-term effect of these interventions on telomere length compared to a control group, but it’s not known if the effects are lasting. Dr. Carlson says another avenue for further research is to see if the psychosocial interventions have a positive impact beyond the three months of the study period.

Allison McPherson was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008. When she joined the study, she was placed in the mindfulness-based cancer recovery group. Today, she says that experience has been life-changing.

“I was skeptical at first and thought it was a bunch of hocus-pocus,” says McPherson, who underwent a full year of chemotherapy and numerous surgeries. “But I now practise mindfulness throughout the day and it’s reminded me to become less reactive and kinder toward myself and others.”

Study participant Deanne David was also placed in the mindfulness group. “Being part of this made a huge difference to me,” she says. “I think people involved in their own cancer journey would benefit from learning more about mindfulness and connecting with others who are going through the same things.”

Source - See more at: http://www.stonehearthnewsletters.com/mind-body-connection-clear-new-evidence/mindfulness/#sthash.QsMH8mC0.dpuf

Fibromyalgia patients may benefit from aquatic exercise

Posted on November 3, 2014 by Stone Hearth News

Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014 Oct 28;10:CD011336. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD011336. Aquatic exercise training for fibromyalgia. Bidonde J1, Busch AJ, Webber SC, Schachter CL, Danyliw A, Overend TJ, Richards RS, Rader T. Author information 1Community Health & Epidemiology, University of Saskatchewan, 107 Wiggins Rd, Saskatoon, SK, Canada, S7N 5E5.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:
Exercise training is commonly recommended for individuals with fibromyalgia. This review examined the effects of supervised group aquatic training programs (led by an instructor). We defined aquatic training as exercising in a pool while standing at waist, chest, or shoulder depth. This review is part of the update of the ‘Exercise for treating fibromyalgia syndrome’ review first published in 2002, and previously updated in 2007.

OBJECTIVES:
The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the benefits and harms of aquatic exercise training in adults with fibromyalgia.

SEARCH METHODS: We searched The Cochrane Library 2013, Issue 2 (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Health Technology Assessment Database, NHS Economic Evaluation Database), MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PEDro, Dissertation Abstracts, WHO international Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and AMED, as well as other sources (i.e., reference lists from key journals, identified articles, meta-analyses, and reviews of all types of treatment for fibromyalgia) from inception to October 2013. Using Cochrane methods, we screened citations, abstracts, and full-text articles. Subsequently, we identified aquatic exercise training studies.

SELECTION CRITERIA:
Selection criteria were: a) full-text publication of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in adults diagnosed with fibromyalgia based on published criteria, and b) between-group data for an aquatic intervention and a control or other intervention. We excluded studies if exercise in water was less than 50% of the full intervention.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS:
We independently assessed risk of bias and extracted data (24 outcomes), of which we designated seven as major outcomes: multidimensional function, self reported physical function, pain, stiffness, muscle strength, submaximal cardiorespiratory function, withdrawal rates and adverse effects. We resolved discordance through discussion. We evaluated interventions using mean differences (MD) or standardized mean differences (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Where two or more studies provided data for an outcome, we carried out meta-analysis. In addition, we set and used a 15% threshold for calculation of clinically relevant differences.

MAIN RESULTS:

We included 16 aquatic exercise training studies (N = 881; 866 women and 15 men). Nine studies compared aquatic exercise to control, five studies compared aquatic to land-based exercise, and two compared aquatic exercise to a different aquatic exercise program.We rated the risk of bias related to random sequence generation (selection bias), incomplete outcome data (attrition bias), selective reporting (reporting bias), blinding of outcome assessors (detection bias), and other bias as low. We rated blinding of participants and personnel (selection and performance bias) and allocation concealment (selection bias) as low risk and unclear. The assessment of the evidence showed limitations related to imprecision, high statistical heterogeneity, and wide confidence intervals.

Aquatic versus control.

We found statistically significant improvements (P value < 0.05) in all of the major outcomes. Based on a 100-point scale, multidimensional function improved by six units (MD -5.97, 95% CI -9.06 to -2.88; number needed to treat (NNT) 5, 95% CI 3 to 9), self reported physical function by four units (MD -4.35, 95% CI -7.77 to -0.94; NNT 6, 95% CI 3 to 22), pain by seven units (MD -6.59, 95% CI -10.71 to -2.48; NNT 5, 95% CI 3 to 8), and stiffness by 18 units (MD -18.34, 95% CI -35.75 to -0.93; NNT 3, 95% CI 2 to 24) more in the aquatic than the control groups. The SMD for muscle strength as measured by knee extension and hand grip was 0.63 standard deviations higher compared to the control group (SMD 0.63, 95% CI 0.20 to 1.05; NNT 4, 95% CI 3 to 12) and cardiovascular submaximal function improved by 37 meters on six-minute walk test (95% CI 4.14 to 69.92). Only two major outcomes, stiffness and muscle strength, met the 15% threshold for clinical relevance (improved by 27% and 37% respectively). Withdrawals were similar in the aquatic and control groups and adverse effects were poorly reported, with no serious adverse effects reported.

Aquatic versus land-based

There were no statistically significant differences between interventions for multidimensional function, self reported physical function, pain or stiffness: 0.91 units (95% CI -4.01 to 5.83), -5.85 units (95% CI -12.33 to 0.63), -0.75 units (95% CI -10.72 to 9.23), and two units (95% CI -8.88 to 1.28) respectively (all based on a 100-point scale), or in submaximal cardiorespiratory function (three seconds on a 100-meter walk test, 95% CI -1.77 to 7.77). We found a statistically significant difference between interventions for strength, favoring land-based training (2.40 kilo pascals grip strength, 95% CI 4.52 to 0.28). None of the outcomes in the aquatic versus land comparison reached clinically relevant differences of 15%. Withdrawals were similar in the aquatic and land groups and adverse effects were poorly reported, with no serious adverse effects in either group. Aquatic versus aquatic (Ai Chi versus stretching in the water, exercise in pool water versus exercise in sea water)Among the major outcomes the only statistically significant difference between interventions was for stiffness, favoring Ai Chi (1.00 on a 100-point scale, 95% CI 0.31 to 1.69).

AUTHORS’ CONCLUSIONS:

Low to moderate quality evidence relative to control suggests that aquatic training is beneficial for improving wellness, symptoms, and fitness in adults with fibromyalgia. Very low to low quality evidence suggests that there are benefits of aquatic and land-based exercise, except in muscle strength (very low quality evidence favoring land). No serious adverse effects were reported.

Source - See more at: http://www.stonehearthnewsletters.com/fibromyalgia-patients-may-benefit-aquatic-exercise/fibromyalgia/#sthash.tPta7eR3.dpuf

5 Nutrition, Exercise Habits That Will Actually Change Your Life for the Better

 

Posted on October 23, 2014 by Stone Hearth News

 

   

  

Most comprehensive weight-loss programs work. Most comprehensive fitness programs work. The problem doesn’t lie with the programs–the problem lies in the fact those programs require such major changes to our daily activities and lifestyles. It’s impossible to make every change overnight. So when you miss a workout or screw up a meal it starts to feel like you’re failing completely.
And soon our comprehensive program is in tatters and we think, “If I can’t do it all, there’s no sense doing any of it.”
So we quit.
Here’s a better approach. Don’t immediately go all in. Don’t waste your time adopting the latest trendy diet or the current fitness fad. No matter how incredible the program, go all in and you’re incredibly unlikely to stick with it.
Instead, just start with making a few simple changes to your day. You’ll lose a little weight, feel a little better, and then find it a lot easier to incorporate a few more healthy habits into your routine.

  

Building slowly over time will help you create a new lifestyle–in a relatively painless way–that you will be able to stick with.
So for now just make these five changes:
1. Drink a glass of water before every meal.
Everyone needs to drink more water. That’s a given. Plus when you drink a glass of water before you eat you’ll already feel a little more full and won’t be as tempted to eat past the point of hunger. More

Follow these topics: Exercise: Benefits, Human Behavior: Habits, Nutrition is Medicine

  

- See more at: http://www.stonehearthnewsletters.com/5-nutrition-exercise-habits-will-actually-change-life-better/benefits-exercise/#sthash.1YYdmCSo.dpuf

Later sunsets increase children’s activity levels

Posted on October 23, 2014 by Stone Hearth News

 Moving the clocks forward by one extra hour all year in the UK could lead to children getting more exercise every day, say researchers.

Their study of 23,000 children found that daily activity levels were 15% to 20% higher on summer days than winter days.

The UK research team said increasing waking daylight hours would have a worthwhile benefit on public health.

The clocks are set to go back by one hour this weekend across the UK. This will result in darker afternoons and fewer hours of daylight after children finish school.

Researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the University of Bristol analysed the activity levels of this large group of children aged five to 16 years old in nine countries, including England and Australia.

All the children wore accelerometers or electronic devices around their waists that measured body movement.

The results, published in the International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity, suggest that longer evening daylight can help keep children active for longer.

Proposals to shift the clocks forward by one additional hour for the whole year and not move them back in October, have been debated in parliament at various times over the years, but never been made law.

More Follow these topics: Circadian Rhythms, Daylight Saving Time, Public Health

- See more at: http://www.stonehearthnewsletters.com/later-sunsets-increase-childrens-activity-levels/circadian-rhythms/#sthash.kdJmKM0f.dpuf

Tai Chi may favorably affect the inflammatory system

 

Posted on October 23, 2014 by Stone Hearth News

   

  

A randomized controlled trial published in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics indicates effects of a medictation technique, Tai Chi, on the inflammatory system. In older adults high levels of loneliness and/or psychological stress are associated with nuclear factor (NF)-κB increased activity. NF-κB controls the expression of genes that code for multiple inflammatory cytokines, and stress activation of the sympathetic nervous system stimulates NF-κB. Tai Chi Chih (TCC), a multidimensional behavioral therapy that integrates moderate physical activity, deep breathing and meditation to promote regulation of emotional and affective responses to stress, is thought to act on stress response pathways reducing markers of inflammation and the expression of genes bearing NF-κB response elements.
Authors hypothesized that TCC would reduce stress and slow the rate of increase in NF-κB levels in lonely older adults, as compared to those who receive a stress and health education (SHE) intervention. Twenty-six older adults (≥60 years), naïve to Tai Chi, who scored ≥40 on the UCLA Loneliness Scale, participated in this study. Participants were computer randomized 1:1 to a 12-week group-based program delivered weekly in 2-hour sessions. At both pre- and postintervention visits, psychological stress (14-item Perceived Stress Scale, PSS) and NF-κB were assessed. Blood was collected between 8 and 11 a.m. by an indwelling venous catheter, placed in heparinized vacutainer tubes and processed for peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

  

Findings showed that lonely older adults who received the health education intervention, did not report a decrease in levels of psychological stress. Moreover, these elderly showed significant increases in nuclear levels of activated NF-κB from pre- to post-intervention. Conversely, among lonely older adults who received TCC, psychological stress decreased, while NF-κB levels remained constant. Further, change in psychological stress was correlated with change in NF-κB activation from pre- to post-intervention examinations, which together suggests that treatment-induced reduction in stress may attenuate increases in NF-κB activation. Source

Follow these topics: Fitness: Tai Chi, Inflammation

  

  See more at: http://www.stonehearthnewsletters.com/tai-chi-may-favorably-affect-inflammatory-system/inflammation/#sthash.wm6kQ2ua.dpuf

If your interested in learning more about Tai Chi please feel free to contact our resident acupuncturist and Tai Chi instructor, Stacy Moon. http://www.brooklynchiropractor.net/acupuncture/

Beetroot benefits athletes, heart patients: Kansas State U research

 

Posted on October 23, 2014 by Stone Hearth News

  

Newswise — MANHATTAN, Kansas — Football teams are claiming it improves their athletic performance, and according to new research from Kansas State University, it also benefits heart failure patients. The special ingredient: beetroot.
Recently, the Auburn University football team revealed its pregame ritual of taking beetroot concentrate, or beet juice, before each game. The juice may have contributed to the team’s recent winning season — and one exercise physiologist who has been studying the supplement for several years says that may be the case.
“Our research, published in the journal Physiology in 2013, has shown that the nitrate found in beetroot concentrate increases blood flow to skeletal muscles during exercise,” said David Poole, professor of exercise kinesiology and anatomy and physiology at Kansas State University. The journal Physiology is widely regarded as the world’s premiere physiology journal.
The researchers’ latest study, “Microvascular oxygen pressures in muscles comprised of different fiber types: Impact of dietary nitrate supplementation,” was published in the Journal of Nitric Oxide, Biology and Chemistry. This work provides the basis for how beetroot juice may benefit football players by preferentially increasing blood flow to fast-twitch muscle fibers — the ones used for explosive running. This work was performed by Poole; Scott Ferguson, doctoral student in anatomy and physiology; and Timothy Musch, professor of exercise kinesiology and anatomy and physiology, all at Kansas State University.
In addition to improving athletic performance, the research also found that beetroot juice can improve the quality of life for heart failure patients.

  

“Remember, for every one football player in the United States, there are many thousands of heart failure patients that would benefit from this therapy,” Poole said. “It’s a big deal because even if you can only increase oxygen delivery by 10 percent, that can be the difference between a patient being wheelchair-bound versus getting up and walking around and interacting with his or her family.”
The benefits of beetroot come from the nitrate found within it. The amount of nitrate in one 70-milliliter bottle of beetroot juice is about the same amount found in 100 grams of spinach.
“When consumed, nitrate is reduced in the mouth by bacteria into nitrite,” Ferguson said. “The nitrite is swallowed again and then reduced to nitric oxide, which is a potent vasodilator. The nitric oxide dilates the blood vessels, similar to turning on a water faucet, and allows blood to go where it needs to go.”
The beetroot juice consumption resulted in a 38 percent higher blood flow to the skeletal muscles during exercise and was preferential to the less-oxygenated, fast-twitch muscles.
“Heart failure is a disease where oxygen delivery to particular tissues, especially working skeletal muscles, is impaired, decreasing the capacity to move the arms or legs and be physically active,” Poole said. “The best therapy for these patients is getting up and moving around. However, that is often difficult. Increasing the oxygen delivery to these muscles through beetroot can provide a therapeutic avenue to improve the quality of life for these patients.”
Clinical trials are currently underway.
The researchers are collaborating with Andrew Jones, professor of applied physiology at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom The research is funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Follow these topics: Nutrition is Medicine, Nutrition: Food: Beets

  

- See more at: http://www.stonehearthnewsletters.com/beetroot-benefits-athletes-heart-patients-kansas-state-u-research/nutrition-is-medicine/#sthash.0OTyEZ3w.dpuf

Chronic Lower Back Pain Relief Via Body Mechanics: Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

 

Posted on October 6, 2014 by Stone Hearth News

 

 

  

Newswise — WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Oct. 6, 2014 – If you want to steer clear of lower back pain, remember this: Arch is good, flat is bad.
Back pain is anything but rare; only headaches and colds are more common. According to the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke, Americans spend more than $50 billion each year on lower back pain, which is the No. 1 cause of job-related disability in the country and one of the leading contributors to missed time from work.
There’s acute lower back pain, sometimes intense but generally short-lived discomfort resulting from injury to the lower back incurred during sustained physical activity (playing sports, doing yard work) or by a sudden jolt (being in a vehicle collision).
But it’s chronic lower back pain, the kind that lasts for more than three months, that is more debilitating and more difficult to treat.
Much of that chronic pain is caused by damage to the discs – the spongy, multi-function structures that lie between the spine’s vertebrae – in the lower part of the back right above the pelvis known as the lumbar region. And much of that damage is caused by poor body mechanics – the way people stand, walk, lift, carry, reach, bend, sit and sleep – in which the back is too often flat, not arched.
“The key to avoiding lower back pain is keeping pressure off your lower lumbar discs,” said Tadhg O’Gara, M.D., an orthopaedic surgeon at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. “That means keeping an arch to your lower back.”
The intervertebral discs, essentially the spine’s shock absorbers, are under constant pressure, especially in the lower back, which supports the weight of the upper body. The five vertebrae in the lumbar region are naturally arched toward the front of the body, so bending forward compresses the front of these disks, which over time can force them out of position to press on one or more of the nerves emanating from the spinal cord. This condition – known as a bulging, herniated or ruptured disc – can cause pain in the lower back and elsewhere, especially the buttocks, thighs and even below the knee (sciatica). And that pain can be severe.

  

“People who haven’t had lower back pain don’t realize how painful it is,” O’Gara said. “And many health care providers don’t realize how painful it is.”
So how is chronic lower back pain treated?
“The first thing to figure out is what exactly is causing the pain, because that determines what approach to take with treatment,” said Kristopher Karvelas, M.D., assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Wake Forest Baptist. “That’s not always easy. Pain is usually related to the discs, but other causes of low back pain have overlapping symptoms and pain patterns.”
Basic diagnostic methods include physical examination, review of the patient’s medical history and patient descriptions of the onset, location, severity and duration of the pain and of any limitations in movement. Imaging techniques such as X-rays, MRI and CT scans also can be employed to pinpoint the source of pain.
Once the reason behind the pain is determined, the most frequently prescribed treatment is physical therapy, not surgery.
“I typically reserve surgery for patients who have a medical need other than pain,” Karvelas said. “There’s a large toolbox that we can go to for patients, and surgery is the last tool.”
Depending on the individual patient’s condition, physical therapy programs usually include exercises designed to strengthen back and abdominal muscles and to promote proper posture and balance. These can include stretching, swimming, walking and even yoga. But education also is a key element.
“Patients need to recognize that posture and activity are crucial in relieving and preventing back pain,” Karvelas said. “They need to learn what exercises to do on their own and how to do them properly to prevent future flare-ups.
“We can help resolve acute back pain episodes, but when we are talking about chronic back pain, the pain may never resolve completely. However, we do use a team approach to treat patients and teach people how to cope with their pain effectively.”

  

- See more at: http://www.stonehearthnewsletters.com/chronic-lower-back-pain-relief-via-body-mechanics-wake-forest-baptist-medical-center/back-pain/#sthash.NB01H3fg.dpuf

Steve "USS" Cunningham and family thank boxing community for contributions for Kennedy Cunningham Fundraiser

Steve "USS" Cunningham and family thank boxing community for contributions for Kennedy Cunningham Fundraiser

For Immediate Release  Philadelphia (October 6, 2014)--Two-time Cruiserweight world champion & Current top-10 Heavyweight contender Steve "USS" Cunningham and his family would like to thank the boxing community for the contributions to the Kennedy Cunningham Fundraiser on www.heartbyfaith.com. Kennedy Cunnungham is the 9 year-old daughter of Steve & Livvy Cunningham and is awaiting a life-saving heart transplant surgery. The fundraiser was set up this summer with the proceeds going to out of pocket expenses for the Cunningham's which included finding a new home close to the hospital for the potential surgery in Pittsburgh. Within the two months, the goal of $25,000 was reached with most of the donations coming from members of the boxing industry. "We are humbled and grateful for what everyone has done to pitch in," said Steve Cunningham.  "These donations came from all over the world from promoters, managers, television people, fighters and everyone else." Said Livvy Cunningham, "We are truly touched by the outpouring of help from everybody.  Because of the contributions from everybody, We are as comfortable as we can be in this situation and we found a place minutes away from the hospital.  It truly shows that when people get together, they can make a huge difference in people's lives." Cunningham Family says Thank You

Steve "USS" Cunningham returns to the ring on Saturday, October 18 at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia when he takes on undefeated Natu Visinia in a 10-round Heavyweight bout that will headline a card on NBC Sports Net About October 18 The Oct. 18 edition of NBCSN Fight Night will take place at the 2300 Arena at 2300 Swanson Street in South Philadelphia. It features a 10-round heavyweight fight between Steve "USS" Cunningham, of Philadelphia, and Natu Visinia, of Lakewood, CA. A 10-round junior lightweight contest between Edner Cherry, of Wauchula, FL, and Jerry Belmontes, of Corpus Christi, TX is the co-feature. Five additional fights open the show at 6:45 PM (EST). Tickets are $50 and $75 and are available by calling Peltz Boxing (215-765-0922) or going online at www.peltzboxing.com. They also can be purchased at Wanamakers Tickets (215-568-2400). The card is presented by Main Events and Peltz Boxing in association with Final Forum Promotions and BAM Boxing. The NBCSN Fight Night telecast will begin at 9 PM ET. Doors open at 6 PM. The event is sponsored by Rocco's Collision. NBC Sports Live Extra: NBC Sports Live Extra: NBC Sports Group's live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices and tablets -- will live stream Fight Night at 9 PM EST/6 PM PST on Oct. 18. For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play. FOLLOW US: Official hashtag: #FightNight www.mainevents.com Twitter: @main_events Facebook: facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing www.nbcsports.com Twitter: @NBCSN Facebook: facebook.com/NBCSports www.peltzboxing.com Twitter: @PeltzBoxing Facebook: facebook.com/PeltzBoxingPromotions MEDIA CONTACTS: Main Events: Ellen Haley - ehaley@mainevents.com, 973-903-6715 Peltz Boxing: J Russell Peltz - peltzboxing@comcast.net 215-765-0922 NBC Sports Group: Dan Masonson - Dan.Masonson@nbcuni.com 203-356-7590

Global spa, wellness industry estimated at $3.4 trillion: report

 

Posted on September 30, 2014 by Stone Hearth News

 

   

  

(Reuters) – A growing middle class and consumers’ evolving attitudes toward health and travel have fueled a global spa and wellness industry worth an estimated $3.4 trillion in 2013, according to a report released on Tuesday.
Nutrition and weight loss, preventative and personalized health, complementary and alternative medicine, and beauty and anti-aging treatments were the biggest growing sectors, the report compiled by the non-profit research center SRI International showed.
“All across the world we have seen, from Asia to Europe to Africa to North America, more and more people are consciously thinking about healthy food, exercising, looking to nature, getting massages and doing yoga,” said Ophelia Yeung, a senior consultant for SRI International who led the study.

  

Spa treatments and products, alternative and complementary treatments and weight-loss programs once considered beyond the means of many people, she added, are becoming more mainstream with a growing middle class.
While medical care treats illness and disease, wellness is focused on prevention through a variety of healthy habits, nutritional eating, exercise and treatments.
To compile the report researchers looked at wellness sectors ranging from mind and body fitness to beauty and anti-aging, spas and workplace wellness.
The global spa industry generated $94 billion last year, according to the Global Spa and Wellness Economy Monitor report, up from $60 billion in 2007.
More

  

- See more at: http://www.stonehearthnewsletters.com/global-spa-wellness-industry-estimated-at-3-4-trillion-report/commercial-fitness-industry/#sthash.42DegOqP.dpuf

Lift weights, improve your memory: Georgia Tech

Posted on October 1, 2014 by Stone Hearth News    

  

Here’s another reason why it’s a good idea to hit the gym: it can improve memory. A new Georgia Institute of Technology study shows that an intense workout of as little as 20 minutes can enhance episodic memory, also known as long-term memory for previous events, by about 10 percent in healthy young adults (see a video demo).

The Georgia Tech research isn’t the first to find that exercise can improve memory. But the study, which was just published in the journal Acta Psychologica, took a few new approaches. While many existing studies have demonstrated that months of aerobic exercises such as running can improve memory, the current study had participants lift weights just once two days before testing them. The Georgia Tech researchers also had participants study events just before the exercise rather than after workout. They did this because of extensive animal research suggesting that the period after learning (or consolidation) is when the arousal or stress caused by exercise is most likely to benefit memory.
The study began with everyone looking at a series of 90 photos on a computer screen. The images were evenly split between positive (i.e. kids on a waterslide), negative (mutilated bodies) and neutral (clocks) pictures. Participants weren’t asked to try and remember the photos. Everyone then sat at a leg extension resistance exercise machine. Half of them extended and contracted each leg at their personal maximum effort 50 times. The control group simply sat in the chair and allowed the machine and the experimenter to move their legs. Throughout the process, each participant’s blood pressure and heart rate were monitored. Every person also contributed saliva samples so the team could detect levels of neurotransmitter markers linked to stress.

The participants returned to the lab 48 hours later and saw a series of 180 pictures – the 90 originals were mixed in with 90 new photos. The control group recalled about 50 percent of the photos from the first session. Those who exercised remembered about 60 percent.

The participants returned to the lab 48 hours later and saw a series of 180 pictures – the 90 originals were mixed in with 90 new photos. The control group recalled about 50 percent of the photos from the first session. Those who exercised remembered about 60 percent.

“Our study indicates that people don’t have to dedicate large amounts of time to give their brain a boost,” said Lisa Weinberg, the Georgia Tech graduate student who led the project.

  

Although the study used weight exercises, Weinberg notes that resistance activities such as squats or knee bends would likely produce the same results. In other words, exercises that don’t require the person to be in good enough to shape to bike, run or participate in prolonged aerobic exercises.
While all participants remembered the positive and negative images better than the neutral images, this pattern was greatest in the exercise participants, who showed the highest physiological responses. The team expected that result, as existing research on memory indicates that people are more likely to remember emotional experiences especially after acute (short-term) stress.

But why does it work? Existing, non-Georgia Tech human research has linked memory enhancements to acute stress responses, usually from psychological stressors such as public speaking. Other studies have also tied specific hormonal and norepinephrine releases in rodent brains to better memory. Interestingly, the current study found that exercise participants had increased saliva measures of alpha amylase, a marker of central norepinephrine.

“Even without doing expensive fMRI scans, our results give us an idea of what areas of the brain might be supporting these exercise-induced memory benefits,” said Audrey Duarte, an associate professor in the School of Psychology. “The findings are encouraging because they are consistent with rodent literature that pinpoints exactly the parts of the brain that play a role in stress-induced memory benefits caused by exercise.”

The collaborative team of psychology and applied physiology faculty and students plans to expand the study in the future, now that the researchers know resistance exercise can enhance episodic memory in healthy young adults.

“We can now try to determine its applicability to other types of memories and the optimal type and amount of resistance exercise in various populations,” said Minoru Shinohara, an associate professor in the School of Applied Physiology. “This includes older adults and individuals with memory impairment.”

###

This research was supported in part by PHS Grant UL1 RR025008 from the Clinical and Translational Science Award Program, National Institutes of Health, National Center for Research Resource.

Source

  

- See more at: http://www.stonehearthnewsletters.com/lift-weights-improve-memory-georgia-tech/strength-training/#sthash.nczBmCxN.dpuf

Exercise walking, fine tuned

Posted on October 1, 2014 by Stone Hearth News

Newswise — New research suggests the adage that encourages people to keep their “eyes on the prize” may be on target when it comes to exercise. When walking, staying focused on a specific target ahead can make the distance to it appear shorter and help people walk there faster, psychology researchers have found. Their study, which compares this technique to walking while looking around the environment naturally, offers a new strategy to improve the quality of exercise.

“People are less interested in exercise if physical activity seems daunting, which can happen when distances to be walked appear quite long,” explains New York University’s Emily Balcetis, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology and one of the study’s co-authors. “These findings indicate that narrowly focusing visual attention on a specific target, like a building a few blocks ahead, rather than looking around your surroundings, makes that distance appear shorter, helps you walk faster, and also makes exercising seem easier.”

The study, which appears in the journal Motivation and Emotion, focused on “attentional narrowing,” which affects perceptions of space. The researchers, who also included Shana Cole, an NYU doctoral student at the time of the study and now an assistant professor in the School of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers University, and Matthew Riccio, an undergraduate at NYU’s College of Arts and Science, hypothesized that narrowing attention on a finish line would lead it to appear closer, increase walking speed, and reduce feelings of physical exertion.

Related research previously conducted in Balcetis’ lab and published last year found that people who are overweight see distances as farther than those who are average weight, especially when they are not very motivated to exercise.

“People are gaining weight at alarming rates,” Balcetis says. “More than 1.4 billion adults and 40 million kids under the age of five are overweight or obese worldwide. And in America, obesity rates have almost tripled in the last 30 years. Attentional narrowing might help people exercise more effectively because it makes physical activity look easier.” The new research found that attentional narrowing acts as an intervention, changing perceptions of distance, so that all people can see the distances in ways that fit people see it. In the Motivation and Emotion paper, the researchers conducted two experiments. In the first, the study’s subjects—66 adults visiting a New York City park in the summer—stood 12 feet away from an open cooler, which contained cold beverages and ice. The experimenter explained to participants that they would estimate the distance to the cooler.

One set of subjects was randomly assigned to a narrowed attention condition in which they imagined that a spotlight was shining only on the cooler. They learned that to be effective at estimating distance, they should direct and focus their attention on the cooler and avoid looking around the environment. The second set of subjects was assigned to the natural attention condition and was instructed to allow their attention to move naturally and in whatever way they found to be most helpful for estimating distance.

Subjects who focused their attention only on the cooler perceived the cooler as closer than did those in the natural attention group.

In a second experiment, the researchers used this intervention to change perceptions of distance and improve the quality of exercise. Here, 73 participants walked 20 feet in a gymnasium while wearing ankle weights that added 15 percent to their body weight, thus making the task more challenging than unfettered walking.

As in the first experiment, one set of participants received the narrowed attention instructions (they were asked to focus on a traffic cone marking a finish line) and the other set received the natural attention condition (they were told to glance at the cone as well as look at their surroundings). Each group then completed the walking test while being timed by the experimenters.

The results confirmed the researchers’ hypothesis that attentional narrowing changed perceptions of distance, speed of walking, and perceived effort.

Those in the narrowed attention group perceived the cones to be 28 percent closer than did those in the natural condition group. In addition, those in the narrowed attention group walked 23 percent faster than did those in the natural attention group. Finally, those in the narrowed attention group reported that the walk required less physical exertion than did those in the natural condition group—a finding that may serve as an incentive to exercise.

“Physical activity is an important component of a healthy lifestyle,” Cole remarks. “Interventions that train people to keep their ‘eyes on the prize’ may play an important role in health and fitness. When goals appear within reach, and when people move faster and experience exercise as easier, they may be especially motivated to continue exercising.

“Given the alarming obesity epidemic in America, strategies that encourage or improve exercise may be particularly important for aiding the nationwide effort to combat obesity and promote healthier living.”

 - See more at: http://www.stonehearthnewsletters.com/exercise-walking-fine-tuned/walking/#sthash.HK2Avos0.dpuf

Walking is a biological imperative like eating

 

Posted on September 29, 2014 by Stone Hearth News

  

(Reuters) – Walking may never become as trendy as CrossFit, as sexy as mud runs or as ego-boosting as Ironman races but for fitness experts who stress daily movement over workouts and an active lifestyle over weekends of warrior games, walking is a super star.
For author and scientist Katy Bowman, walking is a biological imperative like eating. In her book, “Move Your DNA: Restore Your Health Through Natural Movement,” she suggests there are movement nutrients, just like dietary nutrients, that the body needs.
“Walking is a superfood. It’s the defining movement of a human,” said Bowman, a biomechanist based in Ventura, California.

  

“It’s a lot easier to get movement than it is to get exercise.”
Researchers say emerging evidence suggests that combined physical activity and inactivity may be more important for chronic disease risk than physical activity alone.
“Actively sedentary is a new category of people who are fit for one hour but sitting around the rest of the day,” Bowman said. “You can’t offset 10 hours of stillness with one hour of exercise.”
Last year researchers at the University of Texas School of Public Health asked 218 marathoners and half marathoners to report their training and sitting times.
Median training time was 6.5 hours per week.
Median total sitting time was eight to 10.75 hours per day, suggesting that recreational distance runners are simultaneously highly sedentary and highly active.
More

  

  See more at: http://www.stonehearthnewsletters.com/walking-biological-imperative-like-eating/benefits-exercise/#sthash.9AeVtvhE.dpuf

US gov’t to spend $31 million to “empower people to make healthy eating choices”

            Posted on September 29, 2014 by Stone Hearth News

 Richmond, VA, Sept. 29, 2014 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is making up to $31.5 million in funding available to help participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) more easily afford healthy foods like fruits and vegetables. Secretary Vilsack made the announcement with Virginia First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe in Richmond.

“Too many struggling families do not have adequate access to nutritious food,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Helping families purchase more fresh produce is clearly good for families’ health, helps contribute to lower health costs for the country, and increases local food sales for family farmers. Public-private partnerships with non-profit organizations and other community groups are already proving to have great success across the country. These resources will allow partnerships like these to help even more families.”

The Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) program, a new Farm Bill program, brings together stakeholders from distinct parts of the food system and fosters understanding of how they might improve the nutrition and health status of SNAP households. Under FINI, applicants may propose relatively small pilot projects, multi-year community-based projects, or larger-scale multi-year projects. Funded projects will test community based strategies that could contribute to our understanding of how best to increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables by SNAP participants through incentives at the point of purchase, supported by effective and efficient benefit redemption technologies, that would inform future efforts.

NIFA will give priority to projects that:

Maximize the share of funds used for direct incentives to participants

Test innovative or promising strategies that would contribute to our understanding of how best to increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables by SNAP participants, which would inform future efforts

Develop innovative or improved benefit redemption systems that could be replicated or scaled

 Use direct-to-consumer sales marketing

Demonstrate a track record of designing and implementing successful nutrition incentive programs that connect low-income consumers and agricultural producers

Provide locally- or regionally-produced fruits and vegetables, especially culturally-appropriate fruits and vegetables for the target audience

Are located in underserved communities, particularly Promise ZonesThis is an external link or third-party site outside of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) website. and StrikeForce communities.

 All FINI projects must (1) have the support of a state SNAP agency; (2) increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables by low-income consumers participating in SNAP by providing incentives at the point of purchase; (3) operate through authorized SNAP retailers, and be in compliance with all relevant SNAP regulations and operating requirements; (4) agree to participate in the FINI comprehensive program evaluation; (5) ensure that the same terms and conditions apply to purchases made by individuals receiving SNAP benefits as apply to purchases made by individuals who are not SNAP participants; and (6) include effective and efficient technologies for benefit redemption systems that may be replicated in other states and communities.

Applications are requested in each of the following three categories: (1) FINI pilot projects (awards not to exceed $100,000 over one year); (2) multi-year, community-based FINI projects (awards not to exceed $500,000 over no more than four years); and (3) multi-year, FINI large-scale projects (awards of $500,000 or more over no more than four years).

 FINI is a joint effort between NIFA and USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service, which oversees SNAP and has responsibility for evaluating the impacts of the incentive projects. This solicitation combines funds for fiscal years 2014 and 2015. There will not be a solicitation in fiscal year 2015. Applications are due Dec. 15, 2014. NIFA will host a webinar for applicants on Oct. 2 at 2 p.m., EDT.

Funding for the FINI program is authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill. The Farm Bill builds on historic economic gains in rural America over the past five years, while achieving meaningful reform and billions of dollars in savings for taxpayers. Since enactment, USDA has made significant progress to implement each provision of this critical legislation, including providing disaster relief to farmers and ranchers; strengthening risk management tools; expanding access to rural credit; funding critical research; establishing innovative public-private conservation partnerships; developing new markets for rural-made products; and investing in infrastructure, housing and community facilities to help improve quality of life in rural America. For more information, visit www.usda.gov/farmbill.

SNAP – the nation’s first line of defense against hunger – helps put food on the table for millions of families experiencing hardship. The program has never been more critical to the fight against hunger. Nearly half of SNAP participants are children, and 42 percent of recipients live in households in which at least one adult is working but still cannot afford to put food on the table. SNAP benefits provided help to millions who lost their jobs during the Great Recession. For many, SNAP benefits provide temporary assistance, with the average new applicant remaining on the program 10 months.

Through federal funding and leadership for research, education and extension programs, NIFA focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues impacting people’s daily lives and the nation’s future.

More information is at www.nifa.usda.gov.

 #

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.

To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).

Last Date Modified: 09/29/2014

Source - See more at: http://www.stonehearthnewsletters.com/us-govt-spend-31-million-empower-people-make-healthy-eating-choices/nutrition/#sthash.HflkPXmQ.dpuf

New hamstring tester may keep more players on the field

walk? →

 

Posted on September 29, 2014 by Stone Hearth News

 

   

  

Elite sporting stars can assess and reduce their risk of a hamstring injury thanks to a breakthrough made by QUT researchers.
The discovery could be worth a fortune to football codes, with hamstring strain injuries accounting for most non-contact injuries in Australian rules football, football and rugby union, as well as track events like sprinting.
Using an innovative field device, a research team led by Dr Anthony Shield, from QUT’s School – Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, and former QUT PhD student, Dr David Opar, now at the Australian Catholic University, measured the eccentric hamstring strengthof more than 200 AFL players from five professional clubs.
The in-demand device, the only portable ‘machine’ in the world capable of measuring strength during the Nordic hamstring curl, has attracted attention from some of the world’s biggest sporting teams, including French football giants Paris Saint-Germain and several top English Premier League sides, and National Football League teams in the United States.
The researchers found that higher levels of eccentric hamstring strength in pre-season could dramatically reduce a player’s chances of suffering a hamstring injury during the season.
The results have been e-published in leading sports medicine journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise and accepted for publication in an upcoming print edition.

  

“We showed, for the first time, that hamstring injury risk can be quantified by measuring an athlete’s hamstring strength when they’re performing the Nordic hamstring curl exercise,” Dr Shield said.
“The greater the athlete’s hamstring strength, the less likely they were to injure their hamstring, with the probability of a hamstring strain injury dropping to less than 10 per cent in the strongest athletes.
“Improving hamstring strength by 10 Newtons decreased the risk of hamstring injury by approximately 9 per cent. This is a significant benefit and it is likely that players new to the exercise could improve hamstring strength by 30 Newtons in a month.
“This means it’s possible to effectively counter the additional risk conferred by having a prior hamstring injury by improving the eccentric hamstring strength through exercises such as the Nordic curl.
“This is particularly important for athletes who are already at an increased risk of injury due to their age or because they have sustained a hamstring injury in the previous season.”
Dr Shield said players considered to have weak hamstring in early pre-season testing were 2.7 times more at risk of a hamstring injury than stronger players.
The trial, which included players from five professional AFL clubs, is part of proof-of-concept study funded by QUT’s innovation and knowledge transfer company qutbluebox (bluebox) to develop the patented device for the market.
Major sports clubs in Australia are already using prototypes of the device and the research team is also in the early stages of trials with rugby union, NRL, cricket and A-League clubs. Hockey Australia will also begin a trial shortly.
Source

Over-hydrating can be lethal, though it rarely happens

 

Posted on September 2, 2014 by Stone Hearth News

 

   

  

Newswise — MAYWOOD, Ill. (Sept. 2, 2014) – The recent deaths of two high school football players illustrate the dangers of drinking too much water and sports drinks, according to Loyola University Medical Center sports medicine physician Dr. James Winger.
Over-hydration by athletes is called exercise-associated hyponatremia. It occurs when athletes drink even when they are not thirsty. Drinking too much during exercise can overwhelm the body’s ability to remove water. The sodium content of blood is diluted to abnormally low levels. Cells absorb excess water, which can cause swelling — most dangerously in the brain.
Hyponatremia can cause muscle cramps, nausea, vomiting, seizures, unconsciousness, and, in rare cases, death.
Georgia football player Zyrees Oliver reportedly drank 2 gallons of water and 2 gallons of a sports drink. He collapsed at home after football practice, and died later at a hospital. In Mississippi, Walker Wilbank was taken to the hospital during the second half of a game after vomiting and complaining of a leg cramp. He had a seizure in the emergency room and later died. A doctor confirmed he had exercise-associated hyponatremia.
And in recent years, there have been more than a dozen documented and suspected runners’ deaths from hyponatremia.

  

Winger said it’s common for coaches to encourage athletes to drink profusely, before they get thirsty. But he noted that expert guidelines recommend athletes drink only when thirsty. Winger said athletes should not drink a predetermined amount, or try to get ahead of their thirst.
Drinking only when thirsty can cause mild dehydration. “However, the risks associated with dehydration are small,” Winger said. “No one has died on sports fields from dehydration, and the adverse effects of mild dehydration are questionable. But athletes, on rare occasions, have died from over-hydration.”
Winger is co-author of a 2011 study that found that nearly half of Chicago-area recreational runners surveyed may be drinking too much fluid during races. Winger and colleagues found that, contrary to expert guidelines, 36.5 percent of runners drink according to a present schedule or to maintain a certain body weight and 8.9 percent drink as much as possible.
“Many athletes hold unscientific views regarding the benefits of different hydration practices,” Winger and colleagues concluded. Their study was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Winger is an associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine of Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.

  

- See more at: http://www.stonehearthnewsletters.com/hydrating-can-lethal-though-rarely-happens/sports-medicine-injuries/#sthash.WiliFK6g.dpuf