You are getting shorter and what to do about it.

The men in the image above are the same age and were the same height in their twenties.

As we age we lose height. There are several causes. One can be demineralization through osteoporosis. The skeletal mass becomes less dense and you become less tall. Also as you age, the disks in your spine are less moist and degenerate a bit. The final cause is the one we will address however, and it is posture.

A change in posture as you age is a profound cause of loss of height. Most people simply feel that loss of height is inevitable with age and point out how their parents or grandparents are so much shorter. The truth is, bad posture, is now a young person's issue and can be change through a proactive plan of exercise.

There are two to three key areas where posture changes and causes you to shrink. The first is your stance. The way you place your feet or how far apart they are will add or subtract to your height. People tend to stand with their feet placed further apart as they gain weight. A broader base is more stable than a narrow one and an increase in weight will make you feel unstable. The key here is to stay lean and mobile. Taking a narrower stance is easy, especially if you are not overweight to begin with.

The second area is the mid back. This is the thoracic or "T" spine. The is like an virus that has spread throughout the world. The use of computers like the one I am using now, and extended commuting in cars, has produced a race of humans with a hunched, shortened, posture. When the upper back begins to round, the head adjusts by tipping up. This is unnatural. The forward flexion of the torso also limits reaching overhead properly which diminishes those muscles range of motion and strength.

The third area of is the hip flexors. These are muscles in front of the hip that lift the leg up when you are climbing steps. Constant sitting and lack of squatting cause these muscles to shorten and you actually begin to bend a bit as you stand. Of course a large pot belly can also contribute to this postural defect.

The question is, "How can I get my height back?" The answer is actually simple. You undo the action that shortened it in the first place. This takes some of the most fundamental movements that humans used to do daily. Pulling, Pushing, and Squatting are all that is needed. Here are some examples of exercises that require little equipment and can add considerable height to your stressed out frame.

The first exercise is the Overhead Press. It requires some dumbbells that can be acquired cheaply. Simply hold the 'bells at shoulder height and press overhead. You need to brace your body by tightening your abdominals and buttocks to support the torso. Your arms should lock out fully with your biceps near your ears. Do not believe in the '80's fitness myth of keeping the arms unlocked to maintain tension on the muscle. Those joints need loading to keep them healthy and a full range of motion is necessary to build posture. If you find your flexibility is limited, lift the dumbbells overhead and take a short walk. This will force you to be efficient and keep your armpit muscles tight, arms locked, and torso upright. Focus on low repetitions of multiple sets to build strength and slowly increase your muscle's range of motion to correct postural issues. This exercise goes a long way to restore your thoracic spine to it's youthful condition.

The second exercise is the Goblet Squat. It's quite simple. Hold a dumbbell with two hands like a Goblet. Keep the feet shoulder width or slightly wider, with the toes pointed slightly out. Squat down while sitting BACK. Imagine the lower legs are stuck in cement and endeavor to sit back like sitting on a toilet seat. Allow yourself to sink as low as possible and for the torso to fall between the thighs. At the bottom of the squat, use your elbows to push your knees out. The heels should be flat and you should be pushing out with your thighs. After pausing for a short stretch, come erect and tighten your buttocks enough to feel the stretch on the front of your hips. This is the hip flexor stretching. By tightening your gluteus, you allow the flexors to relax and eliminate residue tension in this area. Repeat this process for several low repetition sets. It could be one of the most important exercises you do.

The last exercise is use of the chinning bar. I say "use" since there are several drills for you to do here. The first one would be chinning. Chin ups and pull ups are critical drills to strengthen the upper body. Many cannot do them. Let me give you a technical hint. If you cannot do pull ups or chin ups, there are only two reasons for it. You are either too weak or too fat. Focused efforts with a good trainer will get you there.

The other drills require less strength, but just as much focus. They are decompression drills for the spine. They focus on using muscle of the hips, torso, and shoulder girdle to activate the spine and keep it healthy. Let's run through the drills now.
1. The first drill is to hang with a pronated grip and keep the armpit muscles tight to protect your shoulder's integrity. Now tighten the muscles that start the pull up motion and pinch your shoulder blades together forcing your chest to tip towards the ceiling. It's OK to look up at the ceiling. Relax your back muscles and bring your chest and line of sight back to level. You should feel some stretching on the front of your shoulders. The idea here is to strengthen the muscle that hold the shoulder girdle down and back and to stretch the muscle on the upper chest and front of the shoulders. Repeat about 8 times.
2. Now move down to the hips. Hang with your armpits tight once again. Start to tip your belly button to the sky while bringing the knees up to the chest. Hold for a count and lower your legs while contracting your buttocks and lower back to stretch the front of the hips and abdominal muscles. Once again do this 8 times.
3. The next move is two parts. It involves mild twisting. The first one is to move the torso left and right by subtle movements of the arms. Do not bend the arms but begin the motion of twisting in the shoulders. Lead with the head by looking left and looking right. This is a very slight, but powerful action. Repeat 8 times on each side. The second part is to use the lower body in a scissoring action to activate a mild twisting of the hip region. Move your right leg slightly over your left leg and vice versa. There is no need for violent twisting. Subtle controlled movements are much more effective. This movement can also be done 8 times per side.
4. The last action is to swing the lower body side to side like a pendulum. The muscles on the sides of the waist assist the latissimus muscles in this action. Begin with mild motions before increasing amplitude. 8 times per side is recommended.

The above drills, pressing, squatting, and pulling, will go a long way towards restoring, maintaining, and developing a healthy posture. Of course adequate protein, calcium, and Vitamin D, along with weight control are also part of the big picture. After several weeks on this program, many people will be shocked about your change in appearance.

Oats Are Good For You!

J Am Diet Assoc. 2010 Feb;110(2):205-14.
Whole-grain ready-to-eat oat cereal, as part of a dietary program for weight loss, reduces low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in adults with overweight and obesity more than a dietary program including low-fiber control foods.

Maki KC, Beiseigel JM, Jonnalagadda SS, Gugger CK, Reeves MS, Farmer MV, Kaden VN, Rains TM.

Provident Clinical Research, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137, USA. KMaki@ProvidentCRC.com

OBJECTIVE: Weight loss and consumption of viscous fibers both lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. We evaluated whether or not a whole-grain, ready-to-eat (RTE) oat cereal containing viscous fiber, as part of a dietary program for weight loss, lowers LDL cholesterol levels and improves other cardiovascular disease risk markers more than a dietary program alone. DESIGN: Randomized, parallel-arm, controlled trial. SUBJECTS/SETTING: Free-living, overweight and obese adults (N=204, body mass index 25 to 45) with baseline LDL cholesterol levels 130 to 200 mg/dL (3.4 to 5.2 mmol/L) were randomized; 144 were included in the main analysis of participants who completed the trial without significant protocol violations. INTERVENTION: Two portions per day of whole-grain RTE oat cereal (3 g/day oat b-glucan) or energy-matched low-fiber foods (control), as part of a reduced energy ( approximately 500 kcal/day deficit) dietary program that encouraged limiting consumption of foods high in energy and fat, portion control, and regular physical activity. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Fasting lipoprotein levels, waist circumference, triceps skinfold thickness, and body weight were measured at baseline and weeks 4, 8, 10, and 12. RESULTS: LDL cholesterol level was reduced significantly more with whole-grain RTE oat cereal vs control (-8.7+/-1.0 vs -4.3+/-1.1%, P=0.005). Total cholesterol (-5.4+/-0.8 vs -2.9+/-0.9%, P=0.038) and non-high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (-6.3+/-1.0 vs -3.3+/-1.1%, P=0.046) were also lowered significantly more with whole-grain RTE oat cereal, whereas high-density lipoprotein and triglyceride responses did not differ between groups. Weight loss was not different between groups (-2.2+/-0.3 vs -1.7+/-0.3 kg, P=0.325), but waist circumference decreased more (-3.3+/-0.4 vs -1.9+/-0.4 cm, P=0.012) with whole-grain RTE oat cereal. Larger reductions in LDL, total, and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and waist circumference were evident as early as week 4 in the whole-grain RTE oat cereal group. CONCLUSIONS: Consumption of a whole-grain RTE oat cereal as part of a dietary program for weight loss had favorable effects on fasting lipid levels and waist circumference.
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Burn It or Store It!

Lyle McDonald presents a thorough article on macronutrients that will answer all those questions you have been asking for years. Listen up. Lyle's the best of the best on digesting research and making it available for the masses. Click HERE for the article.

Chocolate May Reduce Stroke Risk

USA TODAY

Just in time for Valentine's Day, research out this week suggests eating chocolate may have a positive impact on stroke. Don't go buying too many heart boxes just yet, though, say the study authors.

A new analysis, which involved a review of three prior studies, suggests eating about a bar of chocolate a week can help cut the risk of stroke and lower the risk of death after a stroke. But the evidence is still limited, says study author, neurologist Gustavo Saposnik at St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto.

"This is something that requires further investigation," Saposnik says.

One study they looked at found that 44,489 people who ate one serving of chocolate per week were 22% less likely to have a stroke than people who ate no chocolate. Another study found that 1,169 people who ate 50 grams of chocolate once a week were 46% less likely to die following a stroke than people who didn't eat chocolate.

The research appears in this week's Neurology and will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 62nd annual meeting in Toronto in April.

Saposnik says future studies need to address which component in chocolate, the amount, and what kind — white, milk or dark — makes a difference.

New chocolate-stroke studies should also take into account age and gender of consumers, says Italo Mocchetti, a professor in the Department of Neuroscience at Georgetown University Medical Center. Mocchetti, who has studied flavonoids, says this chemical, which is found in cocoa, is linked to anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.

The chocolate-health connection is something many clients are interested in, says Katrina Markoff, owner of the premium chocolate line Vosges.

"We get a lot of customers that come in who only want to eat dark chocolate because they believe that it helps their health — everyone speaks in cocoa percentages now," Markoff says. "This generation is really interested in super foods." USA TODAY

Can Art Devany Slow The Aging Process?

Art and his wife lead a lifestyle that would tire out a couple half their age. Have they found the secret of staying strong and healthy? This article and video will tell you how they live and what they do.
CLICK HERE

The fundamentals of Arthur De Vany's Diet

The fundamentals of Arthur De Vany's diet are: get rid of carbs and packaged foods, and eat lean meat and at least two vegetable meals. - Cook by color and texture so that meals look beautiful. If you're busy, it's OK to skip meals. You don't have to have three meals a day. Snacks on nuts or celery. Drink plenty of water. Also drink tea, coffee and a little wine.

CARBS:Avoid bread, muffins, bagels, pasta, rice, potatoes, cereals, vegetable oils, beans and anything in a package -- empty, high-calorie foods with a high carbohydrate content.

FLAVOR:To add flavor to your food, De Vany recommends you use fresh ingredients like basil, garlic, parsley, rosemary, spring onions, avocados and nuts, and use various oils, such as olive oil.

FRUITS: De Vany says his focus is on melon and red grapes. Fruit juice is out. He has one or two fruits with most breakfasts, and then a piece with other meals every now and then.

VEGETABLES: Eat lots of fresh raw, steamed, sauteed or grilled vegetables. Never frozen, canned or packaged vegetables.

PROTEIN: Eat plenty of meat, such as ribs, steak, bacon, pork loin, turkey and chicken. Seafood, and eggs are good options too.

Save Your Teeth and Live Longer

Diets bad for teeth are also bad for the body
Leila Gray leilag@u.washington.edu

Dental disease may be a wake-up call that your diet is harming your body.

"The five-alarm fire bell of a tooth ache is difficult to ignore," says Dr. Philippe P. Hujoel, professor of dental public health sciences at the University of Washington School of Dentistry. Beyond the immediate distress, dental pain may portend future medical problems. It may be a warning that the high-glycemic diet that led to dental problems in the short term may, in the long term, lead to potentially serious chronic diseases.

Hujoel reviewed the relationships between diet, dental disease, and chronic systemic illness in a report published July 1 in The Journal of Dental Research. He weighed two contradictory viewpoints on the role of dietary carbohydrates in health and disease. The debate surrounds fermentable carbohydates: foods that turn into simple sugars in the mouth. Fermentable carbohydrates are not just sweets like cookies, doughnuts, cake and candy. They also include bananas and several tropical fruits, sticky fruits like raisins and other dried fruits, and starchy foods like potatoes, refined wheat flour, yams, rice, pasta, pretzels, bread, and corn.

One viewpoint is that certain fermentable carbohydrates are beneficial to general health and that the harmful dental consequences of such a diet should be managed by the tools found in the oral hygiene section of drugstores. A contrasting viewpoint suggests that fermentable carbohydrates are bad for both dental and general health, and that both dental and general health need to be maintained by restricting fermentable carbohydrates.

The differing perspectives on the perceived role of dietary carbohydrates have resulted in opposing approaches to dental disease prevention, Hujoel notes, and have prompted debates in interpreting the link between dental diseases and such systemic diseases as obesity, diabetes, and some forms of cancer.

Over the past twenty years or so, Hujoel says, people have been advised to make fermentable dietary carbohydrates the foundation of their diet. Fats were considered the evil food. A high-carbohydrate diet was assumed to prevent a number of systemic chronic diseases. Unfortunately, such a diet - allegedly good for systemic health - was bad for dental health. As a result, cavities or gingival bleeding from fermentable carbohydrates could be avoided only -- and not always successfully, as Hujoel points out -- by conscientious brushing, fluorides, and other types of dental preventive measures. When these measures are not successful, people end up with cavities and gum disease.

Hujoel observed that the dental harms of fermentable carbohydrates have been recognized by what looks like every major health organization. Even those fermentable carbohydrates assumed to be good for systemic health break down into simple sugars in the mouth and promote tooth decay. All fermentable carbohydrates have the potential to induce dental decay, Hujoel notes.

But what if fermentable carbohydrates are also bad for systemic health? Hujoel asks. What if dietary guidelines would start incorporating the slew of clinical trial results suggesting that a diet low in fermentable carbohydrates improves cardiovascular markers of disease and decreases body fat? Such a change in perspective on fermentable carbohydrates, and by extension, on people's diets, could have a significant impact on the dental profession, as a diet higher in fat and protein does not cause dental diseases, he notes. Dentists would no longer be pressed to recommend to patients diets that are bad for teeth or remain mum when it comes to dietary advice. Dentists often have been reluctant, Hujoel says, to challenge the prevailing thinking on nutrition. Advising patients to reduce the amount or frequency of fermentable carbohydrate consumption is difficult when official guidelines suggested the opposite.

The close correlation between the biological mechanisms that cause dental decay and the factors responsible for high average levels of glucose in the blood is intriguing. Hujoel explains that eating sugar or fermentable carbohydrates drops the acidity levels of dental plaque and is considered an initiating cause of dental decay.

"Eating these same foods, he says, is also associated with spikes in blood sugar levels. There is fascinating evidence that suggests that the higher the glycemic level of a food, the more it will drop the acidity of dental plaque, and the higher it will raise blood sugar. So, possibly, dental decay may really be a marker for the chronic high-glycemic diets that lead to both dental decay and chronic systemic diseases. This puts a whole new light on studies that have linked dental diseases to such diverse illnesses as Alzheimer's disease and pancreatic cancer."

The correlations between dental diseases and systemic disease, he adds, provide indirect support for those researchers who have suggested that Alzheimer's disease and pancreatic cancer are due to an abnormal blood glucose metabolism.

The hypotheses on dental diseases as a marker for the diseases of civilization were postulated back in the mid-20th century by two physicians: Thomas Cleave and John Yudkin. Tragically, their work, although supported by epidemiological evidence, became largely forgotten, Hujoel notes. This is unfortunate, he adds, because dental diseases really may be the most noticeable and rapid warning sign to an individual that something is going awry with his or her diet.

"Dental problems from poor dietary habits appear in a few weeks to a few years," Hujoel explains. "Dental improvement can be rapid when habits are corrected. For example, reducing sugar intake can often improve gingivitis scores (a measurement of gum disease) in a couple of weeks. Dental disease reveals very early on that eating habits are putting a person at risk for systemic disease. Since chronic medical disease takes decades to become severe enough to be detected in screening tests, dental diseases may provide plenty of lead-time to change harmful eating habits and thereby decrease the risk of developing the other diseases of civilization."

In planning a daily or weekly menu, Hujoel suggests: "What's good for your oral health looks increasingly likely to also benefit your overall health."

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The University of Washington School of Dentistry, one of only two dental schools in the Pacific Northwest, is a worldwide leader in dental education and research. It ranks third among the 57 dental schools in the United States for National Institutes of Health funding in 2009. The school furnishes comprehensive clinical care and also plays a major role in public health through its service to Medicaid patients and people with disabilities or medically compromised systems.

Fixing Your Aging Neck

The neck is quite often the tell tale sign of aging in humans. The robustness of a young athlete may be revealed in the full, strong, vibrant neck. On the opposite end of life, the weak, crooked, and wrinkled neck is often a sign that life on this planet is coming to a close. It's a very visual part of the human experience.
The cosmetic component is valid, but the health issue is even more valid. A strong neck will save your life in a fall, accident, or trauma. Weak, undermuscled necks are more susceptible to whiplash, knock out, or even muscle strains.
Too often the first action taken, when you are aware of how bad your neck looks is a sprint to the plastic surgeon's office. This is effective in terms of the visual aspect, but not so effective in the practical aspect. Good surgeons can clip muscles and tighten skin and change your visual age dramatically. They offer little in the way of strengthening the neck or making it more robust and functional. Only exercise can do that. Here are some simple guidelines that can make you younger in weeks, and possibly,..... save your neck.

First off, visit your doctor to determine if exercise is appropriate for you. He may know nothing about exercise and tell you only to do walking. Fire him as a doctor and get another one who trains and has an interest in health.

These exercises use only the weight of your skull initially, to stimulate muscle growth. Most everyone is SO weak in this area, that the skull will be a sufficient level of resistance.

Lay on a bed or better yet, and exercise bench, face down, with the head free to move through it's full range of motion. Your head should be hanging over the bed or bench. Simply raise the head up and down VERY slowly for 4 repetitions. Here is the interesting part. Each repetition will take ten seconds to raise, and ten seconds to lower. This slow speed of movement will keep soreness to a minimum, and safety at an optimum. When you are finished roll to your side and repeat. You may have to brace your lower arm on the floor to be stable and secure. Make sure to work both sides of the neck. Then roll on your back. Let your head hang free and slowly lift it, bringing your chin to your chest. The key of this exercise is very slow movement.

Repeat this drill three times each week for two weeks. Then it is time to add manual resistance in the form of your own palms pressing against your head. Resistance should be smooth and even, with the same 10 second cadence. All four sides of your neck should be trained evenly. One month of training will have you actually resisting fairly hard. From here, the next step is having a training partner, someone you trust, to apply resistance in all four directions. This is the highest level of training and is used by elite athletes, but can be scaled to any trainee at any fitness level.

This simple, safe, progression will change your appearance and give you a healthier, stronger, neck. The only frosting on the cake is to use ample sunscreen to prevent sun damage and cross linkage of the skin that covers those newly developed muscles. Forget about anti wrinkling creams, jams, jellies, and marmalades. The true anti aging skin cream is called sun screen and the only true anti aging neck process is call exercise.