Gardening for Stress Relief

A recent study in the Netherlands suggests that gardening
can fight stress even better than other relaxing leisure
activities. After completing a stressful task, two groups of
people were instructed to either read indoors or garden for
30 minutes. Afterward, the group that gardened reported
being in a better mood than the reading group, and they also
had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
"We live in a society where we're just
maxing ourselves out all the time in terms
of paying attention," says Andrea Faber
Taylor, Ph.D., a horticulture instructor and
researcher in the Landscape and Human
Health Laboratory at the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Humans have a finite capacity for the kind of directed
attention required by cell phones and email and the like,
Taylor says, and when that capacity gets used up we tend to
become irritable, error-prone, distractible, and stressed out.
Fortunately this "attention fatigue" appears to be reversible.
Following a theory first suggested by University of
Michigan researchers in the 1980s, Taylor and other experts
have argued that we can replenish ourselves by engaging in
"involuntary attention," an effortless form of attention that
we use to enjoy nature.
Trading your BlackBerry for blackberry bushes is an
excellent way to fight stress and attention fatigue, Taylor
says, as the rhythms of the natural environment and the
repetitive, soothing nature of many gardening tasks are all
sources of effortless attention.
Gardening also gets you out in the fresh air and sunshine—
and it also gets your blood moving. "There are lots of
different movements in gardening, so you get some exercise
benefits out of it as well," says William Maynard, the
community garden program coordinator for the City of
Sacramento's Department of Parks and Recreation.
Gardening is hardly pumping iron, and unless you're hauling
wheelbarrows of dirt long distances every day, it probably
won't do much for your cardiovascular fitness. But digging,
planting, weeding, and other repetitive tasks that require
strength or stretching are excellent forms of low-impact
exercise, especially for people who find more vigorous
exercise a challenge, such as those who are older, have
disabilities, or suffer from chronic pain.

Eat More Fruits and Veggies!

For a myriad of reasons already known, eating a vegetablebased
diet is one of the most healthful things you can do for
your body.
Scientists from the University of Alabama, Birmingham
(UAB), showed that, in particular, vegetables such as
broccoli and cabbage are filled with compounds that could
help reverse or prevent cancers and other aging-related
diseases as part of the “epigenetics diet.”
Epigenetics is the study of the changes in human gene
expressions over time—changes that can cause cancer,
Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, asthma, heart disease and
obesity. Simply put, diet, stress, nurturing, our behavioral
habits and even environmental exposures may change gene
activity without altering the actual sequence of our genes.
Medical experts believe that elements such as poor nutrition
choices, pesticides and exposures to synthetic compounds
can trigger a chemical change in the body that mobilizes
molecules called a methyl group (a basic unit in organic
chemistry). This methyl group attaches to the control
segment of a gene and either silences or activates the gene,
causing it to deviate from its intended purpose.
“Your mother always told you to eat your vegetables, and
she was right,” said co-author Trygve Tollefsbol, PhD, DO,
biology professor in the UAB College of Arts and Sciences,
in a press release. “But now we better understand why she
was right; compounds in many of these foods suppress gene
aberrations that over time cause fatal diseases.”
In recent years, epigenetics research worldwide has
identified specific food compounds that inhibit negative
epigenetic effects. Such foods include soybeans, cauliflower,
broccoli and cabbage with green tea, fava beans, kale, grapes
and the spice turmeric rounding out the diet.
For example, Meeran says sipping tea compounds called
polyphenols in daily amounts that are equivalent to
approximately three cups of green tea has been shown to
reverse breast cancer in laboratory mice by suppressing the
gene that triggers the disease. Similarly, a daily cup of
broccoli sprouts, in which sulforaphane is an active
compound, has been shown to reduce the risk of developing
many cancers.
“Our review article shows the epigenetics diet foods can, at
the very least, help us lead healthier lives.” Tollefsbol said.

What’s So Important About Posture

IDEA Fitness Journal July/August 2011

Posture is an important consideration in all activities of daily living (e.g., walking, lifting objects and driving). Keeping good posture can make a difference to the long-term health of your spine. Many postural problems are detectable at early stages, regardless of age. If not corrected, these issues will become more pronounced.

Get answers to common questions about posture from Kenneth Fowler, who recently completed his degree in exercise science at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque (UNM), and Len Kravitz, PhD, UNM researcher and program coordinator of exercise science.

1. What is posture?
Posture is a state of skeletal and muscular balance and
alignment that protects the supporting structures of your
body from progressive deformity and injury. Whether you
are erect, lying, squatting or stooping, good posture allows
your muscles to function with maximum efficiency. With
good standing posture your body’s joints are in a state of
equilibrium with the least amount of physical energy being
used to maintain this upright position.

2. What is a posture muscle?
Posture muscles help to fix or stabilize a joint; they prevent
movement, while other muscles create movement. They are
composed of muscle fibers that have a particular capacity for
prolonged work. For instance, as you lean forward slightly to
walk up stairs (the movement), the posture muscles
surrounding the spine help to prevent the upper body from
falling too far forward.

3. Does poor posture affect a person’s psychological
health?
Yes. Watson & MacDonncha (The Journal of Sports
Medicine and Physical Fitness) found people with poor
posture are more likely to have poor self-image and less self confidence.

4. What are the natural curves in a healthy spine?
The low back (lumbar spine) curves inward (toward the
anterior {front} part of the body) and is called the lordotic
curve. The middle back (thoracic spine) is curved outward
(posterior to the body). The neck (cervical spine) curves
slightly forward or inward and thus has a lordotic curve.

5. What is “neutral spine”?
Although the vertebral column has three natural curves,
“neutral spine” usually refers to the lumbar region. Neutral
spine is a pain-free position of the lumbar spine attained
when the pressures in and around the pelvis joint structures
are evenly distributed. The pelvis is balanced between its
anterior and posterior positions.

6. What are neuromuscular control exercises for the
spine?
Exercise programs that are designed for musculoskeletal
injury prevention involve neuromuscular control
components. These programs involve joint stability
exercises, balance training, proprioceptive training,
plyometric exercises and skill-specific training. They
provide multiple stimuli to improve the body’s
neuromuscular control mechanisms.

7. Is poor posture associated with increased falls in older
adults?
Yes. A study found that the best predictor of future fall risk
in people aged 62–96 was deficiency in lateral posture
stability. Lateral stability exercises can help older adults
prevent falls.

Happy Moving!

Eating Mediterranean

By Sandy Todd Webster IDEA Fitness Journal July/August 2011

A recent analysis of more than a half million healthy adults showed that following a Mediterranean diet was associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular mortality and overall mortality; a reduced incidence of cancer and cancer mortality; and a reduced incidence of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. The diet also has significant impact on a person’s waist circumference, HDL cholesterol levels, triglycerides levels, blood pressure levels and glucose metabolism.

The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (March 15, 2011), was conducted by scientists from the region where the diet originated. Their study meta-analyzed findings from 50 previous epidemiological studies and clinical trials that had assessed the effect of a Mediterranean diet on metabolic syndrome and its components. Metabolic syndrome is defined as a combination of medical disorders that increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The 50 studies tracked a total of 534,906 individuals.

Instead of limiting total fat intake, the Mediterranean diet provides alternate options for the type of fats used. The menu includes monounsaturated fats, found in olive oil, nuts and avocados; polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish (salmon, tuna, sardines and trout); and fats from plant sources, like flaxseed. Limiting processed and packaged foods keeps the diet extremely low in unhealthy trans fats, which have been shown to increase the risk of heart disease and strokes.

The Mediterranean people use olive oil in almost everything they eat, including pastas, breads, vegetables, salads, fish and even cakes and pastries. A compound in olive oil may reduce inflammation, an outcome that helps prevent conditions like heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, autoimmune diseases and certain cancers.

Omega-3 fatty acids, found in abundance in the Mediterranean diet, are bursting with health benefits. Fatty acids have been shown to reduce the incidence of heart attacks, blood clots, hypertension and strokes. Omega-3s may also prevent certain forms of cancer and lower the risk of neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and some types of cancer.

No-Workout Weight Loss

Redbook Magazine January 2009

No time to get to the gym? No problem! Sneak extra activity into your day with these easy exercise shortcuts.

Adding more activity into your daily and weekly routine can help you burn extra calories that could be as beneficial as getting in a workout. Check this out:

At Work:

Instead of taking the elevator, take the stairs. If you park five blocks from your office, then walk and take the stairs you can burn 700 calories in five days (instead of 280).

Sitting and talking on the phone for one hour will burn 40 calories, but stand up and pace while talking will burn 140 calories!

Sitting down for a 45 minute lunch will mostly add calories, but if you eat for 15 minutes and add a 30 minute walk, you could burn 100 calories and cut your lunch calories in half.

At Home:

Watch TV sitting on the coach will burn about 10 calories, but take a 30 minute stroll after dinner browsing a book store or walking through town and burn 60 calories

Get more social and play a game with your family for an hour (instead of surfing the internet alone) and burn about 30 calories.

Tidy up just one room a day for 15 minutes and you could burn 150 calories in five days – and have your weekend off from cleaning.

Out and About:

Don’t drive around the mall for 10 minutes looking for a parking spot close to the door, park in the farthest spot and walk 15 minutes to and from and store entrance and burn 80 calories.

With just these small changes to your days you could burn close to 1,500 calories a day. And once you revamp that routine to maximize your movement, you’ll notice increased energy, improved mood, and a weight loss of up to two pounds a week!

Exercise Helps Self-Control

DEA Fitness Journal July/August 2011

By Kelly McGonigal, PhD

Imagine this: You’re a participant in a scientific study, and you’ve just been put through a challenging mental test designed to stress you out. The researcher then walks in with your favorite instant stress reliever: chocolate. The researcher offers you a variety of chocolate bars, asks you to choose your favorite and instructs you to unwrap it. But before you can savor the first creamy mouthful, she tells you not to eat it.

Researchers at the University of Exeter, England, put 25 chocolate lovers through this mini stress test as part of a study on exercise and self-control. We tend to think of exercise as something that requires self-control, but psychologists are now considering the possibility that it also increases self-control. For this study, the researchers wanted to know: Could a 15-minute walk before the mental stress test help people resist the temptation to soothe their stress with chocolate?

All participants were asked to abstain from chocolate for 3 days, which previous research has shown increases cravings. When the participants arrived at the laboratory, half of them were asked to walk briskly on a treadmill. These participants showed smaller blood pressure increases during both the stressful mental task and the self-control test, suggesting that exercise helped them cope better with both challenges. Exercise also reduced these participants’ chocolate cravings and urges to eat the candy bar.

This is just one study demonstrating that short doses of exercise can strengthen self-control. The same research team has shown that a 15-minute treadmill walk reduces cravings for cigarettes among smokers and improves concentration in the face of distractions. One study looked at brain activation among smokers presented with images of cigarettes. After exercise, the brain’s reward system—which is responsible for feelings of desire and craving—was less reactive to the images. Another study tracked the eye gaze of smokers and found that those who had just exercised spent less time looking at smoking-related images.

Kate Janse Van Rensburg, MSc, lead author of these studies, says, “A single session of exercise can reduce the attention-grabbing power of temptations. Daily sessions of brief exercise could be integrated into any behavior change attempt to help reduce cravings and handle withdrawal.”

Research also shows that as little as 5 minutes of outdoor physical activity improves mood and self-esteem. What can you do in 5 minutes?

• Get out of the office and head for the closest greenery or open sky.

• Cue up a favorite song on your MP3 player and walk or jog around the block.

• Take your dog outside to play (and chase the toy yourself).

• Do a bit of work in your yard or garden.

• Step outside for some fresh air and do a few simple stretches.

• Challenge your kids to a race or game in the backyard or local park.

Happy Moving!