Week Fifteen!

What's a Muscle Cramp?

(From Orthopedics.com) A muscle cramp is a sudden, uncontrolled contraction of a muscle. This type of pain is most commonly experienced in the legs, and therefore often called a leg cramp or a "charley horse." Leg cramps occur when the muscle suddenly and forcefully contracts. The most common muscles to contract in this manner are muscles that cross two joints. These muscles include the calf (crossing the ankle and knee), the hamstring (crossing the knee and hip), and the quadriceps (also crossing the knee and hip).

Leg cramps usually last less than one minute, but may last several minutes before the contraction subsides. In some patients, the leg cramps occur primarily at night, and can awaken the patient from sleep.

What causes a leg cramp?The exact cause of a leg cramp is not well understood, but there are some risk factors that are thought to contribute to this condition:

- Muscle fatigue
- Heavy exercising
- Dehydration
- High weight (not necessarily obesity)
- Electrolyte imbalances

The most common cause that is typically seen in patients who develop leg cramps is exercising in an unusual way, meaning either more activity or a different exercise.

Leg cramps are more common in young (adolescent age) and older (over 65) patients. Patients who weigh more are more prone to developing leg cramps. Also, some medications can cause side effects of leg cramping. How can leg cramps be prevented?

Stay Hydrated! It is not well known exactly how dehydration and muscle cramping are related, but it is known that dehydration can predispose to leg cramps. Drink at least three full glasses of water each day, including one before bedtime. Also drink plenty of fluid before, during, and after exercise.

Stretch Regularly! Stretching can relax muscle fibers. When working out, a good post-work out stretching routine can help relax muscles and prevent cramps. Make sure you cool down after exercising, and do not exercise vigorously just prior to sleep.

Train Gradually! Gradually build up an exercise program, and try to avoid sudden increases in activity. The "10% Rule" is a good rule of thumb: never increase your exercise over one week by more than 10% compared to the week before. Sudden changes in activities can cause leg cramps.

What is the best way to make a leg cramp go away?

Usually instinct takes over when a leg cramp strikes, and you massage and stretch the sore muscle. This is a perfect instinct and often solves the problem. The best steps are

- Massage the cramped muscle
- Stretch the muscle (gently!)
- Take a hot shower or bath to warm and relax the muscle

Week Fourteen!

Question: I've been working out for months now and not losing any weight! What's going on?

There's been a lot of discussion about DIET over the past few weeks, both in our house and from the other bloggers. So here are some thoughts from one of my favorite websites - www. askmen.com (sounds like an oxymoron, doesn't it?)

"Ever since we were little, we were told to eat our fruits and vegetables, and to avoid those sugary snacks that our mouths salivate for... yeah, right! Is that why more than 50% of deaths in North America (especially men) are caused by cardiovascular disease, mostly related to unhealthy eating habits?"

"One third of all cancers . . . are due to improper nutrition -- too much fat, too little fiber and not enough fruits and vegetables. So, do you need to become a vegetarian? Not at all. Simply integrate more of these foods into your daily diet, and you'll be one (huge) step closer to a healthier, disease-free life. "

"Of course, one should always keep in mind that good nutrition doesn't necessarily lead directly to great health. Be sure to integrate exercise into your lifestyle. Also, keep stress to a minimum and make sure that despite the fast-paced life you live, health is still your number one priority. "

10 FOODS YOU SHOULD NEVER EAT!

1. Quaker Oats 100 % Natural Oats and Honey Granola contain 3 teaspoons of sugar per half cup, and come laden with more artery-clogging fat than a McDonald's hamburger (check the fat content).

2. Chicken Franks contain 10 or 11 grams of fat per frank. Most hotdog manufacturers now offer pork, beef, turkey, or soy franks with zero to 2.5 grams of fat per frank.

3. Donuts - as much saturated fat as 9 strips of bacon (10 grams).

4. Cup of Noodle snacks contain pre-fried and pre-salted noodles, compounded by the practice of using artery-clogging palm oil. They add 6 times as much sodium to the noodles as potato chips contain.

5. Anything fried in Olestra, a recently formulated fat substitute that some people cannot digest.

6. Lunchables (packaged snacks) contain heavily processed meat, cheese and mostly white-flour crackers.

7. Fast food French Fries have a salty coating that allow more fat to be absorbed.

8. Campbell's red label soups come brimming with salt.

9. Snacks fried in highly saturated coconut oil. Baked snacks are better.

10. Alfredo Sauces - they contain a large amount of butter.

10 FOODS YOU SHOULD EAT!

1. Sweet potatoes. They're loaded with carotenoids, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.

2. 100% whole grain bread contains many more vitamins and minerals than its white counterpart.

3. Broccoli comes packed with vitamin C, carotenoids and folic acid.

4. Watermelon makes an excellent source of vitamin C and carotenoids.

5. Beans win the inexpensive, low fat, high protein award. Plus they contain lots of iron, folic acid and fiber.

6. Cantaloupe supplies all the daily requirements of vitamin A and C in just a quarter slice.

7. Spinach and kale provide calcium, fiber, carotenoids, and vitamin C.

8. Oranges contain vitamin C, plus abundant folic acid, potassium and fiber.

9. Oatmeal provides soluble fiber that helps lower bad cholesterol while improving good cholesterol.

10. 1% milk ranks as an excellent source of protein, with little or no artery-clogging fat or cholesterol.

Stuff that's generally bad !

Solid fats - Anything from land animals or coconut and palm oils. Reduce your intake because they're safe for frying and slow to spoil. They're a quick and easy way to add taste and calories. These oils compete with the "good" oils for the nutrients, which slows down some of the essential cell functions. In order to absorb these fats, we must increase production of cholesterol. To have them in our blood, we also make additional cholesterol.

Heated, deep fried fats and oils - All toxic despite good taste. They aren't naturally found in food and they interfere with certain essential oils. They raise the bad cholesterol. Nearly all store-bought baked goods are made with shortening. Contrary to popular belief, butter is better than margarine.

White refined flour and most store-bought pasta - The bran and germ that are removed from such items are amazingly good sources of minerals and vitamins. They lack the essential nutrients, even after enrichment. Better to stick with whole grain products because white refined flour and store-bought pasta are linked to an increase in heart disease.

White rice - No! This does not mean to completely avoid eating white rice. However, brown rice does have nutrients that can't be found in white rice. One can possibly mix white and brown rice together for a great combination of flavor.

Sugar (white and brown), molasses and soft drinks - All of us are used to grabbing a Coke from the vending machine at work or school, but what we may not be so aware of is that the fructose portion of refined sugar is a building block for cholesterol.

Week Thirteen!!!

OK - I take back everything I said about Yoga! (Or didn't say, just thought.)

I tried a Yoga session with my daughter on Sunday to a video and I felt as stiff as an oak tree.

I'm beginning to think that a lot of the injuries I've had over the last few years have been more about lacking flexibility than anything else. That's not an expert opinion - but it sure felt like it.

This challenge has been a real eye-opener that way. Everyone is trying different approaches, different kinds of activity and there has been some interesting knowledge-transfer . . . or maybe a better word would be 'exploration'. All for a good cause.

Hey - I still think we should get together at Birds Hill on a Saturday afternoon for a few hours. Let's try this one more time. Let everyone know what your availability is.