Premier Family Care

Archive for June, 2009

Fitness in general includes both aerobic and anaerobic aspects. According to the priorities of the sportsman, one or the other of the two aspects will be emphasized, but the second one will not be neglected. The purpose of doing fitness exercises is, ideally, to create a complete athlete, able to face various physical and psychological demands.

The object of aerobic fitness is the so-called cardio training, a term which refers to the cardio-vascular system and the heart muscle (myocardium). We’ll talk about trainings which do not make oxygen duty and which are generally called ‘trainings of aerobic effort’. More exactly, they refer to efforts which take a long time (more than 12 minutes) – usually they take between 20 and 60 minutes and they determine acceleration of cardiac frequency and lung ventilation. Efficiency in training requires a frequency between 60-80% of the maximum cardiac frequency (calculated according to the formula 720-age – in years).

The typical exercises of aerobic fitness come from classic resistance sports (long distance running, cycling, swimming, fast walking, etc.) and from different aerobic training programs (aerobic gymnastics, step-aerobic, tae-bo, dance, etc.).

Aerobic fitness uses specific cardio machines: treadmill, classic or elliptical trainer, stepper,etc. Dosing the aerobic effort depends on the somatic type and the actual objectives of each sportsman.

Normally, the ectomorphic and mezomorphic types, which do not accumulate large quantities of subcutaneous adipose tissue, will need to practice for a rather short time (20-30 minutes per training in two or three trainings a week, in non-consecutive days). This time is necessary for realizing an effective cardiac stimulation, without the risk of losing muscular mass.

For the endomorphic somatic type, ‘benefiting’ of a lot of adipose tissue, aerobic training must last 45-60 minutes and needs to take place 4-6 times a week.

Even if trainings are extended (time, miles) and they are more frequent, their intensity, which is given by the cardiac rhythm per training, must remain high, so finally the body burns as many calories as possible. It is well-known that only after 20-30 minutes the body starts to mobilize the fat ‘deposits’. Before this, at the beginning of the training, the energetic support of the aerobic effort is ensured by the muscular and hepatic glycogen, the same as in anaerobic efforts, which are supported exclusively by the glycogen from the muscles and the liver.

This is one of the main reasons for recommending, in programs designed for losing weight, aerobic exercises – they are the biggest and fastest ‘fat burners’. Of course, the other big benefits of these exercises appear at the cardiovascular, pulmonary, psychological and other levels.

A real euphoria is observed at the psychological level during aerobic training. This is motivated by the big number of endorphins produced in the body by this type of effort. Endorphins, also called hormones of happiness, are not produced in such a big quantity during anaerobic effort. Anaerobic training determines a big release of catecholamine (adrenaline, noradrenalin), which are considered stress hormones.

A disadvantage of aerobic fitness is, first of all, non-developing a strong and fortified musculature, because of the reduced muscle efforts. We can also observe (and must resist) the monotony of the training, which is long and repetitive.

However, generally speaking, the advantages of aerobic fitness are remarkable and irreplaceable.

Alzheimer’s disease is a disease that can virtually steal away the memory and the abilities of innocent people. It is tragic when it happens and, unfortunately, it happens to many people each year. Are their cures? Is there hope for individuals who are faced with the challenges of Alzheimer’s disease? Let us take a closer look at it and see just what it is and why it is such a horrific disease to have.

What Is Alzheimer’s Disease?

Alzheimer’s is a disease of dementia. It is the most common form of dementia. Alzheimer’s disease affects the parts of the brain that control such everyday activities as thoughts, memory and language. Unfortunately, scientists and doctor’s do not know what is the actual cause of Alzheimer’s disease. They do not yet understand why it happens or who it will strike. What they believe is that a combination of factors contributes to the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

The largest risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease is in fact age. People who are over the age of 65 double their chances of getting Alzheimer’s disease every five years. It is thought that Alzheimer’s disease can be related at least somewhat to genetics. There is actually a type of Alzheimer’s, familial, that strikes individuals between the ages of 30 and 60 that is inherited. But, in the common form of the disease, there is no direct link that is that obvious.

What Are The Symptoms?

There are a number of symptoms that can be the first signs of this paralyzing disease. The first symptoms, though, are not obvious. Mild forgetfulness is often the first symptom to be seen. Then, it becomes more obvious when people begin to have trouble remembering more recent activities and events. Or, they may have more trouble remembering familiar people, places or things. As it progresses, symptoms of Alzheimer’s worsen to where individuals can no longer solve simple math problems. At this stage, people may not realize that they have anything wrong with them. Stress, over tiredness or just plan ‘old age’ may be blamed.

Symptoms become more serious though. As simple tasks become harder and harder to do, individuals realize there may be a problem and seek medical advice. Things like not remembering how to brush your teeth or how to tie a shoe become increasingly more difficult. They may not be able to think clearly, may become anxious or even aggressive. Sometimes, individuals will wander. Unfortunately, Alzheimer’s disease will leave patients needing complete care.

The Outlook For An Alzheimer’s Disease Patient

Alzheimer’s disease is a disease that affects each and every person differently. It begins slowly and can take years to worsen in some people. In others, it is much faster. The end result is severe brain damage. The average Alzheimer’s disease patient will live between eight and ten years from the time they are diagnosed. Others can live up to twenty years.

There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Some drugs that are used early on in the treatment of patients can slow down the progression of the disease in some patients. Some medications are used to treat the symptoms of the disease which can help to make patients more comfortable. On the horizon are many new drugs and treatment plans, including stem cell research that can benefit individuals who have Alzheimer’s disease.

Your pet is caught in a serious type of disease!

And do not be under the impression that this disease is the ‘privilege’ of human beings alone!

Feline Diabetes is one of the most common feline endocrine diseases. Its direct link is to the high carbohydrate diet of dry food. Many canned foods contain too many carbohydrates, which your cat may eat with great speed and gusto; but your poor choices, will definitely damage the health of your pet. Cats by nature are obligate carnivores and their system, as created by the nature is not suitable for a carbohydrate diet. Just don’t put anything and everything before your cat. Understand its requirements, from its biological point of view. Feline Diabetes is not a cat and mouse game.

Cats and insulin shots…sounds odd? But, it’s true.

If the diabetic condition in your cat is a longstanding one, then insulin shots are necessary. Once you start giving it the low carbohydrate diet, and once the cats recoup their original health, no further insulin shots are required.

“Feeding a diabetic cat with a high-carbohydrate diet is analogous to pouring gasoline on a fire and wondering why you can’t put it out.”

There are two types of diabetes – Type I and Type II. Type II is the more common, both in humans and in cats. But the cat has a unique metabolism.

Cats are obligate carnivores and are adapted to consume a diet that is high in protein, moderate in fat, and include a very small amount of carbohydrates (roughly 3 to 5%). Since nature designed them thus, cats do not have many of the important enzymes that are necessary to process these types of foods.

So, it is not sufficient that you love your cat. You have to understand the cat and its food habits! The food you give to your cat can put it in its grave!